Follicum Doses First Patients In Topical Phase 2 Trial

Phase 2 Trial Of Topical FOL-005 Has Resumed- Update 6/9/20

After a nearly 3 month intermission due to coronavirus restraints, Follicum is now able to continue recruitment for its phase 2 trial of a topical FOL-005 formulation. In addition to restarting the trial, Follicum has enlisted a third study center, CentroDerm of Wuppertal, Germany, to speed up recruitment for the trial.

As it stands, the phase 2 trial is set to include 200 male patients who will apply different concentrations of topical FOL-005 (or placebo) once daily over the course of four months. The results from the trial, which were originally expected by year’s end, will now be reported in Spring 2021.

Original Article

Follicum’s most important trial to date has officially begun in Germany.

On March 9, 2020, the Swedish biotech company Follicum announced that its phase 2 dose-ranging study of FOL-005 is now officially underway. The trial will include 200 men with male pattern hair loss who will apply either the hair growth drug or placebo once daily for 4 months. According to the press release, a “group” of trial participants have begun dosing themselves for the trial, so it will still take some time before all 200 participants become active. The trial is being conducted through two contract research organizations (CROs), the Clinical Research Center for Hair and Skin Science in Berlin, Germany, and proDerm in Hamburg, Germany.

Why is this trial particularly important for Follicum? This is the first time Follicum will test their FOL-005 peptide in a topical formulation on the scalp. In order for this drug to become a viable consumer product, it will need to show effectiveness as a topical treatment which can be applied from the comfort of one’s home. In two previous trials, FOL-005 was injected into human scalps and thighs and demonstrated a positive effect on hair growth. The scalp injection trial resulted in an increase of 7 hairs per cm2 on average among trial subjects. 

If the topical version of FOL-005 can continue the trend of improved trial results for Follicum they will have a very esteemed drug candidate in their pipeline. Be on the lookout for a follow-up announcement when all 200 trial participants have begun dosing for this phase 2 trial, and, when results from the trial are announced around Autumn 2020. Good luck Follicum, we can use a winner right now.

Note: As of March 18, 2020 Follicum has suspended the phase 2 trial of FOL-005 in Germany due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus issue. Recruitment for the trial could pick back up in May and will be reported here when it does so. 

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129 Comments

  1. KD on March 11, 2020 at 11:40 am

    hoping for results in the 10-15 new hairs per cm2 at the end of this trial, that would be a success in my book.



    • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 12:01 pm

      That sounds about right KD, 15 hairs would be stellar at the end of 4 months.



      • G on March 11, 2020 at 12:31 pm

        Do you perhaps know whats the next steps are? Is there going to be a phase 3 or does it go to market? Is there any expedited way to get the product to the market?



        • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 12:40 pm

          There will be a phase 3 for sure and hopefully that is the only trial left for the company to do. I don’t know of any expedited way to get the product out to market since it is a topical drug. It will need a phase 3 review.



    • Dwain on March 11, 2020 at 9:29 pm

      Is it a cream ,tablet or enjecting the drug sorry for sounding dumb



      • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 10:39 pm

        It’s a cream Dwain, no worries.



        • dwain on March 12, 2020 at 12:19 am

          i don’t like the cream stuff its snake oil



          • Follicle Thought on March 12, 2020 at 11:32 am

            That’s okay dwain, this cream is going through a proper clinical trial to see how much it affects hair growth. Follicum would be unable to market a snake oil product, we will either see if it works or if it doesn’t.



    • Manzer on June 11, 2020 at 10:13 am

      Hi
      Can I participate in this trail



      • Follicle Thought on June 11, 2020 at 11:49 am

        Hi Manzer, the trial is taking place in Germany, you would need to contact directly here http://follicum.com/contact/



  2. D1 on March 11, 2020 at 1:48 pm

    if the phase 3 was only 4 months as well, this wouldnt take too long



  3. Benny on March 11, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    Do you know if Follicum is also pursuing injections for this treatment? It would be much easier to have administered an injection once every month or couple of months, rather than applying the topical each day, which could also theoretically leave the hair greasy.



    • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 3:21 pm

      Benny, I’m all but certain Follicum is not interested in developing an injectable version of the product. The reason is, in the previous clinical trial the patients were receiving injections once a week. I’m not sure if they could develop a dose to give once a month, but I don’t think they are confident in the # of potential patients who would rather receive injections versus using the topical formula at their own will.



  4. Dave on March 11, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    How many hairs per cm2 did the Minixodil Phase II/III studies show? Curious or comparison. Do we know if this is a once daily or twice daily?



    • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      I’m not sure about 5% minox but 2% minox has shown a 12 hair increase per cm2. It’s hard to dig for 5% trial results. If anyone knows of any please share.



      • Welsh Dragon on March 11, 2020 at 5:24 pm

        Min 5% – 18.6 per cm2(393 patients)
        Fin – 12.9 per cm2 (693 patient)
        Dut – 15.4 per cm2(416 patients)

        These were obtained from Celino when comparing NGH-574H against the other hair loss treatments.



        • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 6:15 pm

          Thanks Welsh, anything positive in your use of NGf?



          • Layla on March 11, 2020 at 6:48 pm

            Can someone explain the difference between Minoxidil and the topical of Follicum? Is more hair growth expected or is it a similar product in terms of results?



            • Follicle Thought on March 11, 2020 at 10:41 pm

              Its hard to know until the trial is completed but I think Follicum expects results somewhere in the range of minoxidl, perhaps little more.



  5. Dwain on March 11, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    Is this minoxidil that snake lotion you put on you scalp like trinov or is it tablet form



    • Yoda on March 12, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      Oh, you must mean the snake oil, topical minoxidil that has helped keep the hair on my head for over 35 years! Really, how insightful you are Dwainster.



  6. Ryan on March 12, 2020 at 1:35 am

    I wish Dr. Tsuji would give us an update. I feel like this whole Coronavirus Pandemic is going to set back everything ANOTHER year.?



    • Yoda on March 12, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      Here’s a Tsjui update from an internet knucklehead that doesn’t know what he’s talking about but will chime in with his opinion anyways (it’s the internet, that’s what we do). This is not a near term treatment, they haven’t yet conducted clinical trials on humans. It won’t be available this year, next year or the year after…if it ever becomes available at all. It’s good to have hope but for the near term seek what’s currently available and is best for you. For the next few years your hope would be better placed in solutions that are actually in phase III.



      • Follicle Thought on March 12, 2020 at 8:43 pm

        I think having hope is good for the spirit, I encourage people to have hope for the treatments that they really want. Just make sure to stay unattached to the outcome of what happens and you’ve got a full-proof perspective.



        • Yoda on March 13, 2020 at 1:52 pm

          Well said Admin…and more diplomatic than Yoda the grumpy old man! 🙂



  7. dwain on March 12, 2020 at 2:18 am

    sorry for all the questions….if its a peptide why couldn’t it be swollen or injected i just don’t know about all this snake oil and creams and is the the peptide that also reverse grey hair? thanks admin



    • Follicle Thought on March 12, 2020 at 11:34 am

      It could be injected, but Follicum thinks a consumer product will work best as a topical that people could use from privacy of their home. I don’t think it will be effective as a pill because it needs to affect follicles locally. This product does not have an effect on grey hair.



  8. John on March 12, 2020 at 6:35 am

    Hi Admin, are there any updates on below Storys from over 2 years ago? …

    – Topical PTD-DBM and Valproic Acid against CXXC-type zinc finger protein 5 (CXXC5)

    – WNT inhibitor Dickkopf 2 (DKK2)

    – synthesized novel small molecule, IM176OUT05 (IM) activates stem cell metabolism



    • Follicle Thought on March 12, 2020 at 11:36 am

      Hi John, I was planning to check on PTD update within a few months. I believe DKK2 is still a ways off from becoming an actual product and I’ll look into the IM molecule as well. Thanks



  9. Wardown14 on March 12, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    Fingers crossed for Follicum. A new topical would be nice.



    • KD on March 12, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      I’m with ya WarD, fingers crossed. Knowing that fol005 is coming down the pipe with good results would be a comfort.



  10. Jeremy on March 13, 2020 at 1:38 am

    Could this topical be used together with minoxodil for a cumulative effect, or if it still too early to speculate?



    • Follicle Thought on March 13, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      Jeremy, if it does work it is likely there will be a cumulative effect, however of course this needs to be proved and actually could only be tested once the drug makes it to market. Your theory is sound though.



    • Dwain on March 13, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      Why do people go on about mnoxidil another snake oil and the figures I saw in a post I just don’t believe it I’ve tried it and all it did was make my hair look grey



      • Follicle Thought on March 13, 2020 at 6:38 pm

        I think it’s the propylene glycol in minoxidil formulas that coats the hair and gives a chalky look.



        • Yoda on March 13, 2020 at 7:53 pm

          Is the PG what makes topical minoxidil “snake oil”? It is somewhat greasy after all, or we could say snake oily! 😉



      • MRKA on June 10, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Dwain…because you could be a non-responder.
        You probably belong to the unfortunate majority..if claims made by AB are correct.



  11. Yoyo Honey Singh on March 13, 2020 at 7:59 am

    Jeremy:

    Noone knows. Follicum is only in phase 2.
    They will first do this trial, then gather information to see if they want to continue to phase 3 trial.

    After that they do that and have a product ready they themselves will most likely not proceed to put money in testing their topical with minoxidil.



  12. D1 on March 13, 2020 at 11:30 am

    What we need is Giuliani to get a move on with their topical cosmetic



  13. D1 on March 13, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Also shouldn’t follica have started their phase 3 trials by now?



  14. John on March 13, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    Effective combination therapy with high concentration of Minoxidil and Carboxygas in resistant Androgenetic alopecia

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.13362

    Results: “Our results showed that combination of high concentration of minoxidil and carboxygas extremely can increase the level of hair growth” … does somebody have the login? Are there before after pics?



    • The on March 13, 2020 at 7:58 pm

      Wow, John great find. I can’t find full article, but if you google “carboxygas hair” in image results you can find 3 graphs: pull test, hair diameter and hair density. Last one is SPECTACULAR since it shows hair density more than doubled 3 months post treatment. I don’t know who sponsored this and if we can trust them, but if true this is huge, biggest news in hair loss world in years.



      • Follicle Thought on March 13, 2020 at 8:20 pm

        I had an update on Carboxy therapy for alopecia back in 3/10/18 on the Updates page, you can scroll down to read it https://folliclethought.com/updates/



      • John on March 14, 2020 at 8:14 am

        The, amazing! Diameter and Density together result in double Hair volume after just 3 months!” We definetly should know more about it.



  15. Yoda on March 13, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    Pretty open ended statement “minoxidil and carboxygas extremely can increase the level of hair growth.” I had carboxy therapy along with my 4 rounds of high concentration PRP from a reputable doc, did little to nothing.



  16. John on March 14, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    HI Admin, when can we expect Exosomes Update? I would especially be interested in Exosomes Microneedle or Microneedle Patches.

    I guess Exosomes delivery via Microneedle is more effective …

    https://www.alviarmani.com/exosomes-new-breakthrough-for-hair-loss/



    • Follicle Thought on March 15, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      Hi John, perhaps this month I’ll do the exosomes article, I’d like to see more data from clinics and hopefully hear from patients who have had the treatment done. So, if anyone reading this has please chime in.



  17. John on March 15, 2020 at 4:09 pm

    Thanks Admin! … One should expect to see results soon as there are so many poeple who claim it works wonder! … time to deliver! 🙂



  18. Greg on March 18, 2020 at 6:16 am

    Admin, do you see cloning / cell therapies becoming an industry in this decade? I would think so but I’d like your take on it.



    • Follicle Thought on March 18, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      Yes, Greg I think it’s all but inevitable that working cell therapies and hair cloning become a reality this decade. If there were only one company with a shot at it, perhaps the potential would not be so high, but since there are at least 3 main players in the field it becomes very likely. Let alone there is certainly always at least 2 or 3 research groups somewhere in the world always working on the development of bioprinted skin/hair etc. It will come to the forefront, that’s my take on it.



  19. john on March 18, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    Does anyone know if @HairClone revives hair follicles or regenerates them by culturing new ones. If so, how far along are are they and when do they next release a press update?



    • Follicle Thought on March 20, 2020 at 1:06 pm

      john, HairClone aims to revive follicles which are thinning, that is the focus of their current treatment. They are also working on new hair follicle culturing but that is down the road a little bit.

      They may announce some news in the Autumn, they’re working on getting their system approved by the British MHRA so they can begin creating DP cell cultures to offer to physicians in the UK. As soon as the system is approved the doctors in the UK can begin treating patients ASAP.



  20. Ahmed bekeer on March 20, 2020 at 3:45 am

    Hi Ahmed,

    I hope you are doing well.

    Our exosome procedure starts at $5000 and that is to do 2 zones. I will attach our zone diagram chart for you to reference. There are no known side effects from the exosome procedure and is completely safe.

    I will attach some links below to some videos for you to learn more about how Exosome works. Let me know if you have any questions and I am happy to help.
    https://www.alviarmani.com/fue-hair-transplant/exosome-therapy-los-angeles/
    https://www.alviarmani.com/exosomes-hair-regeneration/
    Thank you.
    Is the treatment 100% effective?
    Does hair fall out after years of treatment?
    ● Treatment is very expensive.
    What do you think about that



    • Follicle Thought on March 20, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      Ahmed, its a bit pricey I would say depending on the results achieved.



  21. Alonso on March 20, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    Hi! Sorry the trial is delayed because of covid, but is that a cream or a lotion? And one more question: how long would take phase 3 in case there is one? I mean, trial would finished in autumn, so how much more would have taken it to be over? Thanks!



  22. Scottie S. on March 24, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    I know we’ve talked about Replicel recently, but here’s a snippet of their newsletter to investors about RCH-01:

    “The best responders were those at stage Norwood III/IV rather than V/VI and the best responders saw a range of 5-13 more hairs per square centimeter at nine-months after treatment. This is a statistically significant result produced from a one-time injection of an experimental treatment that may yet be improved upon in any number of ways including being easily delivered in a series of injections, which I would expect to further increase hair re-growth outcomes. This is an exciting development in the field of hair-loss research.”

    The expanded summary of Replicel’s RCH-01 study is here:
    https://replicel.com/news/publication-of-clinical-data-confirms-replicel-s-treatment-for-androgenic-alopecia-effective-in-men-and-women

    They’re excited that the results were low dose, and they’re very optimistic that the next study — which will implement their much-ballyhooed new patented dermal injector (RCl-02) –will have even better results.



  23. Yoda on June 9, 2020 at 1:39 pm

    Thanks Admin, good news. Follicum is one I tend to forget about but shouldn’t, as it’s a treatment that’s actually in clinical trials on humans.



    • Follicle Thought on June 9, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      You’re welcome Yoda and thanks for the acknowledgement. Yup, FOL-005 is a topical in the game with a unique mechanism of action that could complement finasteride or minoxidil (or of course be used on its own). Let’s hope for good things from this uber important phase 2.



  24. Kay on June 10, 2020 at 7:49 am

    It is really good to see slowly the hairloss industry is picking up the pace and is starting to br back to normal after pandemic.
    Let’s hope for the best now.



  25. LouiSarkozy on June 10, 2020 at 11:47 am

    do you think if FOL-005 is as successful as minox 5 ( according to their claims) it will permit us minox user to drop minox and keep our minox gains by using Fol instead?



    • Follicle Thought on June 10, 2020 at 1:44 pm

      This is probable Louis. Some gains could be lost when switching to the new mechanism of action, but we’d have to see. Most people might opt to combine the two treatments for a while.



  26. Devit on June 11, 2020 at 10:23 am

    I hope any treatment will get FDA approval then it will be available in all counties (looking forward to be available in India).



  27. Zoloft on June 11, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    Hey, once again you gain my appreciation admin. Can you do me a favor and tell me which products would launch first in Europe and then the US. Thank you in advance



    • Travis on June 11, 2020 at 6:31 pm

      Every time I go on any forum or YouTube video there is always someone who comments beneath “Tsuji is way ahead of this” etc. etc. But I don’t understand the buzz around this approach, he hasn’t started trials and I haven’t seen any proof of concept. I know Admin (and Yoda) are anal about Tsuji talk but could someone please clarify this widespread belief in the bald community



      • Yoda on June 11, 2020 at 7:24 pm

        There’s a lot of “wide spread belief” in the bald community and on the internet in general. Yoda’s theory is that many are scared of current treatments due to irrationality and are waiting for the holy grail to magically appear. They read that Tsuji will “commercialize” the treatment this year and took it as gospel. Questionable posts of “information” from unverified sources and/or bad translations of Japanese, people take this as literal news. It’s like the folks on here that keep asking admin for an update, if there’s real news from a verified source he’s be all over it. Other than that a lot of what you read is pure, unadulterated garbage.



        • Travis on June 11, 2020 at 7:31 pm

          Thanks Yoda



      • Paul on June 11, 2020 at 9:55 pm

        Travis,

        I definitely think some people are “too excited” about Tsuji’s treatment, given what we know, which isn’t much.

        However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with discussing or asking about cloning or Tsuji, and I can see why so many people are pinning their hopes on it.

        The naysayers will say that it is unrealistic to pin your hopes on a treatment that might never come. And they’re right.

        At the same time, I’d rather pin my hopes on something like cloning or Tsuji’s treatment. I simply can’t get excited about an upcoming topical solution that might lead to a “statistically significant” improvement if you rub it on your head every day. That isn’t solving the problem. That’s making it slightly better.

        I frequent other hairloss forums (Follicle Though is my favourite!) and there seems to be a divide in attitudes. Generally speaking, readers can be divided into two attitudes:

        1) “Our only hope is cloning and Tsuji!”

        2) “Forget about future treatments! Concentrate on what we have and the treatments that might be released in the next few years.”

        I’m a cynical realist, so I completely understand where the second group is coming from. However, I’m with the first group.

        Current treatments might be all we have at the moment, but they simply aren’t good enough. Upcoming treatments might be “more likely” but they aren’t exciting if you ask me.

        Some people say that we might soon have three or four treatments that we can use together, to gain some improvement. That might be realistic in some ways (as in, the treatments have a good chance of coming to market) but it’s not realistic in giving us what we ultimately want — a way to stop thinking about hairloss.

        For me, it all comes down to different ideas of realism. Yes, current hairloss treatments exist, and some treatments look like they might come to market. But will they eliminate the issue of hairloss? No. They might give a slight improvement, if anything, and they still require daily effort, and you will still be in a position where hairloss is a concern.

        On the other hand, things like Tsuji and cloning might be further away, but if they can do what they claim — or even something close to it — I could get my life back.

        So, that where I stand. Upcoming treatments might be more realistic in terms of coming to market, but I don’t think there is a realistic chance that they can give me what I want. Tsuji and cloning might be further away and less likely to come to market, but If they do I think they offer a more realistic chance to sort my hairloss issues.



        • Follicle Thought on June 11, 2020 at 10:43 pm

          Paul, thank you for your extremely thoughtful and well-stated contribution here. I’m flattered by your compliment as well.

          I’ll share some thoughts on cloning, waiting for cloning, Tsuji, etc.

          Personally, I am most excited at the prospect of a hair cloning treatment or some kind of cellular injection that can produce noticeable regrowth. And, I appreciate and look forward to any of the other topicals that come out along the way. It’s not a one-or-the-other thing for me. Being as realistic as possible, I believe that hair cloning is not a case of if, it’s a case of when. The current scientific understanding and the multiple teams working towards it tells me that it will get here. I don’t guarantee this to anyone else, and I absolutely don’t know the date it will happen, but personally I am certain.

          I don’t have any preference in the cloning game. Organ Tech, Stemson, TissUse, Rapunzel, I like them all. On other sites I do notice a “Tsuji is a sure thing” mentality and I just don’t know where it comes from. If Tsuji gets there first I think that’s great, my only advice is to not ignore the other cloning treatments and the non-cloning treatments. Everything new that works will help.

          As far as waiting for cloning and ignoring current options, that’s for each individual to decide. It’s important to be educated about current options and make your choice from there. If a person is okay with the potential that cloning may not come in the time frame they were expecting and still want to wait for then so be it, just make sure you understand the consequences first. The “big 3” is a great playbook for the vast majority and proven to be effective, it’s not for everyone though. We know this from patient and doctor testimonials.

          Keep the faith, dare to dream, do what you can to make what you want a reality. Cheers



          • Yoda on June 12, 2020 at 6:42 pm

            Well said admin. Paul, nothing wrong with hope and optimism, it beats the alternative. My opinion (not a fact) is that we are many years away from a viable, commercially available cloning/stem cell treatment. I’m not sure that any are even actually in clinical trials besides Replicel/ Shiseido. So we don’t know what results they will yield. Likewise, the treatments that are presently in clinical trials, it’s too soon to write them off as not being effective for you, me or anyone else until we have the actual data. I guess what puts a burr under Yoda’s saddle is guys that are waiting for treatments that aren’t even in clinical trials yet. The years will go by, you’ll loose more time and hair. Yoda is 57, I hopped on the existing treatments as soon as they were available (in the 80’s for min and the 90’s for fin) and haven’t looked back. If I would’ve waited for the perfect solution, I would’ve been shiny bald by now, I’m far from it. If the situation was different for me I’d consider FUE and not wait, and I’m not a big advocate of transplants, they are a last resort in my opinion.



      • Follicle Thought on June 11, 2020 at 10:19 pm

        I’m actually not anal about Tsuji talk, whatever that means…



        • Dimitri on June 12, 2020 at 1:00 pm

          Hi, any stemore or applied biology updates about their release of cosmetic products this year?



          • Follicle Thought on June 12, 2020 at 2:25 pm

            Not yet Dimitri, but soon.



  28. Ahmed bekeer on June 12, 2020 at 2:52 pm


    • Follicle Thought on June 12, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      Was there something that caught your eye on the Follica page Ahmed?



      • Tom on June 12, 2020 at 6:31 pm

        It states phase 3 ready now.



      • Ahmed bekeer on June 12, 2020 at 7:00 pm

        The third stage will soon be completed and the first baldness treatment announced in 2021



  29. Maurice on June 13, 2020 at 4:23 am

    When will you contact Jon Knight, Admin?



    • Follicle Thought on June 13, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      It’s not about me contacting Jon Knight, it’s about Jon Knight contacting me with an update which can be published. We’re in touch, efforts are still moving forward.



      • Nils on June 13, 2020 at 1:20 pm

        on the day you announce the start of the studies, I donate 50 euros.



        • Follicle Thought on June 13, 2020 at 1:23 pm

          Sounds good Nils, thank you.



  30. Nobody on June 13, 2020 at 6:46 am

    Dear admin!

    You reported on the ultra strength hair regrowth treatment from hair restoration laboratories. What is your assessment of this product? According to the manufacturer, there is a lot of positive feedback. Thanks in advance! 🙂



    • Follicle Thought on June 13, 2020 at 1:20 pm

      Nobody, thanks. Hair Restoration Labs is a sponsor of this site and I feel that their Ultra Strength product is well developed and a good product. It contains 5% minoxidil + some of the best complimenting all natural anti-DHT ingredients. Minoxidil is still the gold standard hair growth topical outside of topical finasteride.



      • Nobody on June 13, 2020 at 1:40 pm

        Thank you for the fast answer:-)
        Compliments for the good work you do here.



  31. Alonso on June 13, 2020 at 7:09 am

    If this works, when do you think we would get it? 2021? 2022?



    • nils on June 13, 2020 at 7:39 am

      I really cant understand why j.hewitt needs so much time to find a partner to start the trials.
      It cant be that hard.



    • Tom on June 13, 2020 at 7:43 am

      Hopefully in 2023



    • Follicle Thought on June 13, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      Could be late 2022 if things go very well, otherwise 2023.



  32. The on June 13, 2020 at 7:53 am

    Does anyone know anything about “knu-201” human dermal papilla cell line from Stemore cause it sounds very interesting?
    I just noticed that on their site but it’s hard to find out more because i don’t speak korean.



    • Follicle Thought on June 13, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      The, that cell line is actually for research purposes, it won’t be used on humans. SM-DPC is their dermal papilla cell therapy. Should have a formal update from them within next 2 weeks.



  33. Bryan on June 13, 2020 at 11:34 am

    I have a update for TissUse. If someone is interested I can share it.



    • Halan on June 13, 2020 at 1:15 pm

      PLease share it Bryan – we are all interested in! Tissuse update please



  34. Alonso on June 13, 2020 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks for answering my question! And what about Samumed, how long will take to have it? After all, you told us that the trials are still going on, so it seems that they are the ones who have the more advanced project/drug. =)



    • Follicle Thought on June 13, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      You’re welcome, thanks for supporting. Samumed could come out in H1 2022 in Turkey and then shortly thereafter in US. The US part is still to be determined according to a representative at Samumed, I have an article which has a quote from them.



      • Nils on June 14, 2020 at 7:46 am

        Maybe Samumed could be available in turkey late 2021.
        I dont think, that they will let Samumed wait to much.
        The Trial ends in January 2021.



  35. D1 on June 14, 2020 at 4:21 am

    how can it be H1 2022? They finish phase 3 at end of 2020. So max would be end of 2021



    • Follicle Thought on June 14, 2020 at 11:02 am

      Trial is supposed to end January 2021. It then takes a month or two to review and submit data. Then it takes a while to get a response from Regulatory. Could be available in late 2021, H1 2022 is once again a conservative estimate.



  36. Alonso on June 14, 2020 at 7:15 am

    But are they still working on it? Can you confirm that? Have you been taliking to them lately? I am worried because this whole covid situation has delayed everything… It would be great to hear from them again soon. Ps. What about Europe? Will it be released earlier here? Maybe at the very beginning of 2022 as well? Thanks!



  37. Tom on June 14, 2020 at 10:48 am

    This is from their last official update:

    Corporate News
    • In light of COVID-19, Samumed has transitioned to remote work for all
    non-essential employees; our clinical and preclinical activities continue as planned

    So it does not look like it had made a big impact.
    Also, the drugs will first be released in Turkey. Europe and US could be much later. But my dermatologist has told me that it is possible letting a doctor from Turkey prescribe it to someone from Europe and then ship it.



  38. Steve on June 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    I really hope applied biology releases their shampoo that will help non responders to minox. it would help me a great deal



    • Follicle Thought on June 14, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      Well, good news Steve and others who have been asking about the Applied Biology minoxidil product: I’ve recently shared a new brief update about it on the Updates page. Synopsis is things are still on track.



  39. Mjones on June 14, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    I think samumed said 2023 for release. Wasn’t in one of their press releases? I’ll take it in 2021 with no complaints lol.

    I’m with Steve, when will applied biology release their shampoo. If it can make rogaine work better for me that would be awesome



    • Follicle Thought on June 14, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      There was an article that mentioned 2023 availability but that doesn’t really make sense if the trial actually does complete in January 2021.

      Whatever the date it will come out in Turkey first if it does pass the bar in phase 3.



  40. Walter on June 15, 2020 at 3:43 am

    How efficient this new Samumed solution when you compare it to Fin and Minox?



    • Follicle Thought on June 15, 2020 at 10:36 am

      Walter, the phase 2 results show that Samumed SM04554 is a little below minoxidil in efficacy, but it does show the ability to create new follicles.



  41. Bryan on June 15, 2020 at 6:23 am

    I have a update for Tsuji. If someone is interested I can share it.



    • Steve on June 15, 2020 at 9:21 am

      Bryan why even ask? who would not be interested in an update from Tsuji lol



      • Follicle Thought on June 15, 2020 at 10:39 am

        Tsuji update should be interesting



        • Yoda on June 15, 2020 at 10:50 am

          Yes, we should all hang on every word from some random poster from the internet. I’m sure he must have an inside track straight to Tsuji. 😉



  42. dwain on June 15, 2020 at 7:25 am

    RT1640 rivertown just watched video from january this year they say they have results but just got to do check points before releasing it to the public do you think they might release this year or next this one sounds very promising be great to check up on them



    • Follicle Thought on June 15, 2020 at 10:37 am

      Which video dwain?



      • dwain on June 16, 2020 at 1:34 am

        on their web page first on from january 2020



        • Follicle Thought on June 16, 2020 at 10:32 am

          Oh ok, thank you. RiverTown still needs to go through phase 2 and phase 3, so what is said in the video by a third party may not be completely accurate.



  43. Bryan on June 15, 2020 at 8:33 am

    I had a conversation with TissUse representative. We spoked about Karl R. Koehler’s lab and their new paper about growning hair from 100% human stem cells. He told me that he knows about the lab and paper much earlier and it is groundbreaking discovery and very promising research. Plus, he told me that they (TissUse) are believing J.Hewitt will start their trials after Covid-19.



    • JK on June 15, 2020 at 11:14 am

      Thank u, Bryan!



    • Nils on June 15, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      What means after Covid 19?
      I think its already over in Japan?



      • Follicle Thought on June 15, 2020 at 2:18 pm

        This just means relatively soon, Nils.



        • Nils on June 15, 2020 at 3:15 pm

          That would be great.
          Do you have any new Infos?



          • Follicle Thought on June 15, 2020 at 4:16 pm

            Not at the moment Nils. Keep up the positive visualization, throw a penny in a fountain, say a few prayers, do a rain dance (for hair) we’ll get there.



  44. Yoda on June 15, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    If the Applied Biology shampoo can give results like Yoda has experienced on oral minox, it will be a winner. Remember, Yoda was on topical minox for over 35 years with increasing strengths and declining results as time marches on. I was initially a great responder to minox for years. Despite upping my game from fin to dut, which helped stem the loss, minox regrowth stimulation had become minimal at best. Oral minox has really helped, maybe for the same root reason they are developing the shapoo. Admin, would be good to ask if they feel the Applied if they feel the shampoo would help those that did respond to minox but stopped. If that’s the case it will be a wider population that this product could possibly help.



  45. Bryan on June 15, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    I forgot to mention that TissUse representative told me that only hope for complex hair stem cell therapies for now is Japan and no other country, because in Europe and USA/Canada there are very strong regulations about using stem cells (especially iPSCs). Probably because of low chances for tumorigenicity regarding iPSCs.



    • D1 on June 16, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      What happened to the WAY trials by Giuliani.?



      • Follicle Thought on June 16, 2020 at 5:37 pm

        They are keeping that internal for the time being.



  46. Mjones on June 16, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    I hope it comes out earlier admin but it seems like 2023 is what they stated. I guess they feel they need a year to get all the paperwork and red tape stuff complete with fda then another year to get supply and marketing at a large scale. So 2023 may sound right.



    • Follicle Thought on June 16, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      2023 sounds about right for FDA, but SM04554 will be out in Turkey before it comes out in US. See this article for commentary on marketing approval direct from Samumed. The current trial is for market approval by the Ministry of Health in Turkey, whereas an end of phase 2 meeting has not even been completed with FDA yet.



  47. MT on June 17, 2020 at 9:05 am

    For your information, I have received an e-mail from TissUse this morning : “Dear Mr,

    Thank you very much for reaching out to us.

    Unfortunately we do not have any news on when the study will commence. Many of the GMP manufacturing facilities required for the study are still fully engaged in COVID-19 related projects.

    We are very sorry to not have any definitive information for you at this point in time.

    All the best,

    The TissUse Team”



    • Follicle Thought on June 17, 2020 at 10:08 am

      Thanks MT, yes this is an expected response since an update is not available right now. It’s probably best for people to not keep sending the same question to them in the future.



      • Razi on June 22, 2020 at 6:56 am

        Did you hear about exosomes?
        Seeing insane things regarding them lately



        • Follicle Thought on June 22, 2020 at 12:01 pm

          Yes, I’ve heard of exosomes and they are interesting. I’m cautious when reviewing their results for now though.



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