Keratin Injectables For Hair Growth: KeraMedix
A new interesting startup aimed at hair growth has emerged, once again, from Korea – KeraMedix.
New Study Published By Nature Portfolio
On November 19, 2022, the Communications Biology journal of Nature Portfolio published the study “Keratin-mediated hair growth and its underlying biological mechanism” by researchers from Kyung Hee and Konkuk Universities in South Korea. Unbeknownst to this audience, I had been waiting over 1.5 years for this study to publish so that I could properly introduce the biotech startup affiliated with this research. It goes to show you that new hair growth technology is always in development beyond what’s visible. This peer-reviewed study shows that a proprietary form of injectable keratin is able to stimulate hair growth in an animal model. The study is very elaborate and contains a plethora of data for those who wish to review its literature. I know the majority of this audience, though, is interested in the commercial aspects of such an injectable technology. Let’s take a look further.
KeraMedix Biotech Company
KeraMedix is a bio-venture company based in Seoul, South Korea and founded in 2017, according to its website. Dr. Song-wook Han serves as the company’s CEO. KeraMedix’s pipeline (seen below) currently shows four candidate products which are: 1st and 2nd generation hair growth injectables, a diabetic ulcer injectable, and a skin rejuvenation injectable.
keramedix.co.kr
It’s interesting to note that the keratin protein used in these injectable therapies is actually derived from human hair through a complex process. To learn more about KeraMedix’s journey to hair growth and current timelines for clinical development, Follicle Thought conducted a short interview with the Chief Technology Officer of KeraMedix.
Interview With KeraMedix CTO Dr. Yu-Shik Hwang
FT: How did your group first become inspired to create an injectable keratin product for hair growth?
YSH: Firstly, several years ago, we developed in situ forming keratin-based hydrogel to accelerate wound healing, and during the research, we found hair growth in the only skin defect area of mice covered with keratin-based hydrogel, which led us to explore the biological effect of keratin on hair growth. When we tried to inject keratin into the skin of a mouse, we found distinct activity of hair growth, and then started to study the biological mechanism of keratin in hair growth. An additional paper is attached for reference.
FT: What is the current timeline projection for a human trial using the injectable keratin hair therapy?
YSH: In our plan, The 1st Human Clinical Trial will be started at the beginning of 2023. The 2nd and the 3rd Human Clinical Trial will be accomplished up to 2025. In 2025, we will provide commercial Keratin Injectables first in Korea. In addition, we will contact and co-work with a partner for human clinical trials abroad, and will conduct business such as license agreements to expand the market to the USA, EU and other countries.
YSH: Yes, there was no distinct difference in hair growth activity between 0.5% and 1.0%. However, considering the solubility, the stability in storage and unit cost, we decide to provide 0.5% keratin injectables as prescription-based medicine.
FT: For those who are not used to reading scientific studies, can you summarize the significance of this study and its important accomplishments?
YSH: KeraMedix venture company (Korea) has developed a Keratin-based injectable for hair growth. Keratin-based injectable is developed by a novel bioprocess to successfully extract intrinsic keratin protein from human hair and the technology to make keratin-based solution. Keratin-based injectable is a prescription based medicine to induce hair growth dramatically with monthly injection and without any side effects via new hair follicle formation through the induction of secondary hair germ formation and dermal papilla condensation.
Recently, a paper entitled “Keratin-mediated Hair Growth and its Underlying Biological Mechanism” was published at Nature Communications Biology. During the hair cycle, transforming growth factor beta-2 (TGF-b2) is expressed spatiotemporally at late anagen stage, and induces apoptosis of the outer root sheath (ORS) cell during catagen stage. Sequentially, keratin is exposed, released and deposited spatiotemporally from apoptotic ORS cells. The exposed keratin influences the microenvironment around dermal papilla cells and stem cells in the bulge region of hair, which results in the change of cell to matrix interaction. Finally, such keratin-mediated microenvironmental change induces dermal papilla condensation and secondary hair germ formation, an essential step for telogen to anagen transition. The KERAMEDIX’s injectables will provide keratin to induce dermal papilla condensation and secondary germ formation in the same way as intrinsic keratin protein working during hair regeneration. (end)
Posted in Hair Growth Treatment, KeraMedix
Thanks for reading. And I am happy to share this very interesting development, in my opinion, on an important holiday. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers in America.
Crazy to see how far ahead Korea are than America in pushing for the cure. Great find @Follicle
Yes I would agree that it’s a shame that other countries will be so far than america…is in finding the cure makes you wonder ….about..America..not wanting to or care to get involved in such thngs that will cure us than..rather drug us..
Maybe America just doesn’t want to put effort into hair research. Maybe they have occupations that can make them more money.
Hi admin, seems there’s an update about Cosmerna.
Thank you Peterson. I don’t consider it much of an update as I have been informing everyone in the comments over the past couple months that I am in touch with June Park and they are essentially on the same trajectory they have been since early summer. But I appreciate the heads up.
Wow, Asian countries work hard. Not just in the field of hair research, but pretty much in everything they do.
Wow thank you! If they do the trials and release within 3 years they would be awesome! They talk about dramatic hair growth. Lets see. I hope its not again hype and results will be 2 hairs after 6 months.
Regarding the treatment is it supposed to create follicles as it injects keratin or, is it to simply save what you already have?
I think they’re hoping for both Tony, but I don’t think they truly know at this stage.
Hey FT,
I saw the update on GT20029 which sounds like good news. I never understood though, why even though a phase 1 trial is to test for safety, why we can’t gauge the efficacy as well. Like, they had people try the drug, don’t they have some idea now of efficacy even if though the test was just gauge safety?
It depends where the drug was applied Mr. Burns and I’m not sure. It could have even been applied to skin forearms for example.
Anyone seen this thread on Reddit using Pyril?….
https://old.reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/z6jd1a/my_pyrilutamide_experience_photos/
Amazing.
Just saw it from your post BearlyEagle, looks good.
Joe, I believe you wanted to know about anyone’s experiences using some of the unregulated Pyrilutamide solutions that are out there. I ordered one bottle of .5 from Minoxidil Max during their Cyber Monday sale, will use 1 mg daily for approximately 60 days and see how it goes. Can report my experience if anyone cares to know. I’m not a fan of unregulated Chinese chemicals but I’m putting less substances into my body these days so what the hell.
Looks to have concealer applied on last photo. Zoom in closely.
Yoda – Keep us posted! May I suggest you 5% minoxidil (2x per day) as well? I think you’ll see better results. That’s what I would do if I was ready to jump in. So you’re using Pyril once a day (many on reddit are) and not twice a day? I personally would only start out with once per day, but that’s just me.
Felix my boy, I’m on topical and oral minox, dut so no problem. My stack varies, now oral minox (5mg daily) and dut (.5 mg every other day) with topical minox in excess of 5% with fin and/or dut.
yoda i thought i was your boy 😉 hope all is well
Woofy my boy, I’m good, I’ll be 60 on Sunday! I hope all is well with you, did you get a hair system? I know you were talking about that, whatever gives you confidence is positive. From my perspective the best treatment regime currently available is oral minox 2.5-5mg a day, oral dut .5mg a day (both prescribed by a doctor) with topical minox/dut. I understand that’s not for everyone, just where I personally had the best recent results with no appreciable side effects. We’ll see about this bootleg Pyrilutamide I’m trying from Minoxidil Max, so far it does seem to help somewhat with scalp itch, still too early in the game to make any judgements.
I hope you have a good birthday Yoda. I’m doing well my life it’s not perfect right now but I guess one step at a time lol. I still haven’t gotten a system yet as but I’ve reached out to a couple of people Chuck alfiri and I’m currently talking to another hair system person. The only bad part is that they’re really far away. I’m from Florida but I recently moved to South Carolina for my job and I have not done research for any places around here and all of the haircut places here give you military haircuts because I live next to a marine air station and Parris island so lol I have to look far for a good hair system and haircut. I was thinking of sending my measurements and hair texture and color to them and they cut it and color it and then send it to me and I attach it. Since I still have the sides and basically the back I just need something on top because the frontal area looks bad. I would like to do short on the sides long on top parted to the right side. I’m not looking to expose the hairline just I want it to look extremely real that’s what I’m nervous about it not looking real or feeling weird on my head or getting hit and sweating so idk
Hi admin, did you manage to talk with maksim plikus?
Franklin, I emailed Maksim but he did not respond to me. Sorry, I tried for you.
Thank you so much admin. I guess he doesn’t want to reveal anything now. Dr Wrassman says the will start trial middle of next year.
He uses duasteride, minoxidil tablets and pyrilutamide.
The question is what affects him.
I’ve only been using pyrilutamide for 2 weeks, I honestly don’t notice anything.
I don’t have any side effects like some say they have.
Like me, I believe the Reddit guy had used other treatments for a while. Should be apparent if pyrilutamide is having some effect. However much more than two weeks is needed. I’m suspect of the Reddit guy having that much regrowth after only 6 weeks. I believe he said he was on TRT and that was supposed to make his results that much more impressive. I’m no expert, but possibly he didn’t start balding until recently, mainly due to TRT, and that was why he supposedly responded so well? As opposed to those of us who’s follicles have been miniaturized for a long period of time and may not respond as well or at all.
Dr. Tsuji seems to be trying to commercialize hair regeneration by 2026
https://globe.asahi.com/article/14777404
I certainly wish him the best and thanks for sharing, prime. I’ll be keeping my eye on other companies/developments in the meantime, though.
There is keratin in MSM-methylsulfonylmethane,i think
Has there been any update from hairclone or Dr Farjo? I know they were wanting to release hair rejuvenation in the UK at the same time they want to start clinical trials, before 2022, according to their website.
Was there any official talk of a delay on their part?
Skye, I have not heard of an official delay. Though, HairClone has been facing multiple delays over the past several years, so it’s fairly safe to say that if no news has been announced, then they are still in the development/fundraising side of things. I think 2023 is a bit of a pivotal year for them to get something going, I’d be surprised to see the stagnation last.
Thanks Admin.
Here’s hoping 2023 is a good year with Cosmerna, Kintor, Hairclone possibly being good releases.
There was an interview with Dr. Farjo with one of the moderators of the Hair Restoration Network a while ago (late October or early November can’t remember exactly) on Instagram.
Dr. Farjo said that their aim is to start in 2023 indeed & the delays are mainly down to COVID, such as the universities that were supposed to aid them in monitoring the first treatments being opened & closed in a random pattern early this year so they were forced to wait it out…