ALOPECIA - THE SEARCH FOR NOVEL AGENTS CONTINUES

Recently, the search for new and effective agents for the treatment of alopecia has become significantly more intense. The increase in hair biology research worldwide seen in both academic institutions and phar maceutical companies stems from the desire to profit from the marketin g of drugs that have been termed cosmeceuticals. Millions of men and w omen from every ethnic group suffer from various forms of alopecia, th e most common being androgenetic alopecia (AGA), where the target tiss ue active androgen, Sa-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) aggravates geneticall y programmed scalp hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. Currently a vailable drugs indicated for other disease processes are still commonl y used to treat the various forms of alopecia because no other agents are available; some of these compounds have severe side-effects and ma ny also exhibit minimal efficacy. These prescription drugs were not or iginally indicated for alopecia and have not been adequately tested in controlled clinical trials to assess for efficacy, safety and toxicit y. Despite this, these agents continue to be used clinically for the t reatment of patients with various forms of alopecia. To combat the pro blems associated with the currently prescribed drugs a variety of new agents have emerged in patent applications. This report reviews nearly 70 patent applications submitted since 1995 for AGA, immunomodulatory related hair diseases and antichemotherapeutic alopecia agents (preve nting hair loss during chemotherapy) and discusses the mechanisms of a ction targetted by research and their implications regarding efficacy.