July 1, 2002

Finasteride Cuts Risk of Further Visible Hair Loss in Men
By Jill Stein

Special to DG News

PARIS, FRANCE -- July 1, 2002 - In men with androgenetic alopecia, treatment with finasteride 1 mg/d for five years leads to a marked and sustained reduction in the risk of developing further visible hair loss.

The findings were reported here at the 20^th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD).

In two replicate, double-blind studies, men aged 18 to 41 years with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) received finasteride 1 mg or placebo for up to five years. Global photographic assessment of scalp hair growth by an expert panel showed the superiority of finasteride over placebo.

In a post-hoc analysis, Dr. Keith Kaufman, of Merck Research Laboratories in Rahway, New Jersey, United States, and colleagues examined the effect of finasteride on the five-year risk of developing further hair loss based on these GPA data.

The analysis included 713 patients who received finasteride 1 mg/day (645 patients) or placebo (68 patients) continuously from randomisation to study completion or discontinuation. All patients underwent global photographic assessments during the five-year study period.

Finasteride treatment led to a 93 percent reduction in the risk of developing further visible hair loss from baseline to end point, relative to placebo. Development of further visible hair loss was observed in the majority of placebo-treated patients by year 3.

The highest rates of further visible hair loss for placebo patients occurred in men of younger age, earlier onset of hair loss, longer duration of hair loss, more severe hair loss pattern, and/or parental history of hair loss.

"These findings suggest that there are differences among men with [androgenetic alopecia] with respect to susceptibility of scalp hair follicles to continued follicular miniaturization," Dr. Kaufman said.

Regardless of the subgroup examined, treatment with finasteride reduced the risk of further visible hair loss relative to placebo, confirming the key role of dihydrotestosterone produced by type II 5 alpha-reductase in mediating hair loss in men with androgenetic alopecia, he added.

The study was supported by Merck Research Laboratories.

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