Androgenetic Alopecia Study Reveals Unmet Treatment Needs

Follica, Inc, which is a biotechnology company developing a regenerative platform designed to treat androgenetic alopecia (AGA), epithelial aging, and other related conditions, detailed results of an online survey showing unmet treatment needs for patients with AGA in a poster presented at both the 2022 Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference held in-person from January 14-19, 2022, in Koloa, Hawaii and 2022 Maui Derm Meeting held in-person and virtually on January 24-28, 2022, in Maui, Hawaii.^1,2

The authors of the poster were Ken Washenik, MD, clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology, NYU School of Medicine, in New York, New York, and president of the Bosley Medical Group, in Beverly Hills, California; Jonathan Bissett, the director of clinical operations at Follica, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Jeffrey Dover, MD, associate clinical professor in the department of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, in New Haven, Connecticut, and dermatologist SkinCare Physicians, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

The poster outlined the responses of an online survey conducted in July 2021 that was designed to evaluate the attitudes of males with AGA regarding hair loss and their potential interest in a novel regenerative treatment approach for AGA. Responses were provided by 303 qualified respondents who identified as males in the United States between 18 to 49 years old suffering from AGA,

Results showed that patients experienced a negative impact relating to AGA, extensive challenges with existing treatments due primarily to low efficacy and cost, and a desire for a novel therapeutic in-office treatment for new hair growth.

Some highlights of the poster data were³:

• 64% of respondents indicated their hair loss had a negative impact on their lives. This negative impact was greatest for those with AGA onset within the past 3 years but was still prominent even for those living with the condition for more than 10 years.
• 56% of respondents stated they had never sought treatment for their hair loss. 19% of all subjects tried but did not continue. Reasons cited by both cohorts included poor efficacy or cost; uncertainty on how to seek treatment; or lack of concern with their condition.
• 74% of all respondents indicated they were either likely (44%) or extremely likely (31%) to request a new therapeutic approach to AGA described as an investigational in-office treatment, including a product profile of a device being developed by Follica and a set of before/after photos.

“Male hair loss is an extremely common complaint among patients in our practice, and unfortunately, we don’t have highly effective ways to address this condition, which has significant impact on our patients’ wellbeing,” said Dover, who coauthored the study and is a scientific advisor to Follica. “The survey data clearly corroborates the large unmet need for a new treatment paradigm with the potential to grow new hair safely and successfully over a few months compared to years.”

Reference:

1. Washenik, K. Bissett, J. Dover, J. Unmet Treatment Needs in AGA and Interest in a Novel Therapeutic Approach: Survey Results in >300 AGA Patients. Presented at: Maui Derm 2022; January 24 to 28, 2022; Wailea, Hawaii.
2. Washenik, K. Bissett, J. Dover, J. Unmet Treatment Needs in AGA and Interest in a Novel Therapeutic Approach: Survey Results in >300 AGA Patients. Presented at: 2022 Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference; January 14 to 19, 2022; Kauai, Hawaii.
3. Follica announces poster presentation demonstrating unmet treatment needs in androgenetic alopecia. Follica. Published January 19, 2022. Accessed January 26, 2022. http://www.follicabio.com/follica-announces-poster-presentation-demonstrating-unmet-treatment-needs-in-androgenetic-alopecia