- The drug has been able to treat a condition called alopecia areata.
- The NHS says the condition affects every 15th in 10,000 people in the UK alone.
- The NHS reports that hair loss can be caused by stress, weight loss or iron deficiency.
Researchers call a new drug “an important milestone” for its ability to grow hair again and tackle baldness, reported The sun.
Studies show that half of the people who took the drug got a whole hair back.
It has been able to deal with the condition called alopecia areata. NHS says the condition is common and affects every 15th out of 10,000 people in the UK alone.
It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in hair loss, leaving either small bald spots on the head or causing complete baldness.
The condition is incurable, but some drugs help increase growth.
A pharmaceutical company recruited over 700 people in the United States who suffered from alopecia areata. They were divided into three groups: one received a dose of 8 mg twice daily, another 12 mg dose twice daily, and one received placebo.
“A statistically significant proportion of patients” experienced an increase in hair regrowth compared with the placebo group.
About 42% saw about 80% of their hair grow back. However, some patients suffered from side effects such as headaches and acne.
“Today marks an important milestone in promoting new treatments for alopecia areata,” said Dr. Brett King, dermatologist at Yale University School of Medicine.
“There is a great need for treatments for this challenging disease,” he added.
The drug, called CTP-543, has not yet been approved by FDA drug regulators.
NHS reports that hair loss can be caused by “stress, weight loss or iron deficiency.”
