New effective tablets for hair loss developed

Hair loss tablets have shown efficacy in clinical trials

The drug VDPHL01, developed for the treatment of male pattern hair loss, showed positive results in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

The study involved 536 men with mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia. Participants received the drug at a dose of 8.5 mg once or twice daily, or a placebo.

After six months, the mean hair count in the target area increased by 28.6 hairs per square centimetre with once-daily dosing and by 36.4 hairs with twice-daily dosing. In the placebo group, the figure rose by 6.6 hairs per square centimetre.

Positive changes were recorded as early as the second month of the study — this was the first time point at which treatment results were assessed.

VDPHL01 is a tablet form of minoxidil with extended release. The developer stated that no serious adverse side effects were identified as a result of the study.

The drug still has to undergo the required procedures before a possible market launch. The company plans to use the results obtained to file an application for drug approval with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, VDPHL01 has not yet been approved by the FDA and is not sold as a registered treatment for hair loss.