George Cotsarelis and upenn new article today

[Thinning87]

I like Dr Rassman.

He's so much more refreshing than most of the HT docs that keep making promises they can't keep, or tell us lies to make people feel better about getting and paying them for a hair transplant.

It is the HT docs that tell us that a cure will be here in 5 years so that we will pay them for a hair transplant that will see us through while we wait for a cure.

Well screw them and screw that.

The good news for us is that 5 years ago the things we talk about today did not exist. Never before in the history of balding cures have we been as close to a cure as we are now.

While that statement doesnt tell us ANYTHING it is about the only certainty we have.

Less certain things to be hopeful about:
1) histogen is by far the closest
2) dr gho - scarless fue
3) dr wesley / pilofocus - scarless hair transplant of sorts
4) piloxil

Replicel? Follica? Seriously we've had nothing meaningful to us from them... Replicel are YEARS behind Histogen in terms of their clinical trials. Histogen is our best bet. The others are just things we can only hope that happen.

Of course Follica might totally surprise all of us. For all we know (because we know nothing) they might launch something tomorrow!!!

Chance would be a fine thing :P

I agree with the overall message but disagree with your read on the leadership of histogen. While it has published impressive results, these were on women only. Men's results are in the same range as replicel.

Also both replicel and histogen completed a phase 1/2a only. However, replicel is starting out phase 2b within 6 months and has now solid backing from shiseido with the addition of the latter conducting their own clinical trials.

Histogen, instead, seems to have stalled for at least a year and hasn't shown any signs of moving ahead with clinical trials. No one knows what they're up to but it is a fact that histogen not only has been silent, but has failed its reverse merger and finally, in every conference they took part, haven't mentioned any plans no move into phase 2b.

Follica is also very interesting. The fact that they haven't published any results is coherent with their well known mysterious attitude. However they have made claims and published papers which tell us they are very close from a theoretical point of view. Actually, they are supposed to be in some kind of fgf9 preclinical trial at this time, as they disclosed six months ago that this would be the next step to test the fgf9 findings.

We'll see what happens but if Follica has any success at regulating growth then we have ourselves a cure. They claim to know how to consistently create new follicles, and that is huge.

[hellouser]

Of course Follica might totally surprise all of us. For all we know (because we know nothing) they might launch something tomorrow!!

Won't happen tomorrow. Probably not even this year.

All you need to do is look at Follica's financial backing and official page where it shows how far they are with clinical trials:

http://www.puretechventures.com/pipeline.php

They're half way. So, at best it means they've finished Phase II, at worst it means they're starting them soon.

[Kiwi]

"Would you peel your scalp skin back? As the article states: …“sounds mildly terrifying: they start with a process called ’skin-peturbation’ where the top layers of the scalp are peeled back.”

There’s a long way to go before Follica would be able to be taken to market, so I’m not going to get excited about it yet. I’ve seen a lot of promising “cures” go nowhere over the years. We shall see."

-Dr. Rassman

How does this doctor know how far Follica is? It's discouraging reading his comments sometimes. I really hope they release soon.

I like Dr Rassman.

He's so much more refreshing than most of the HT docs that keep making promises they can't keep, or tell us lies to make people feel better about getting and paying them for a hair transplant.

It is the HT docs that tell us that a cure will be here in 5 years so that we will pay them for a hair transplant that will see us through while we wait for a cure.

Well screw them and screw that.

The good news for us is that 5 years ago the things we talk about today did not exist. Never before in the history of balding cures have we been as close to a cure as we are now.

While that statement doesnt tell us ANYTHING it is about the only certainty we have.

Less certain things to be hopeful about:
1) histogen is by far the closest
2) dr gho - scarless fue
3) dr wesley / pilofocus - scarless hair transplant of sorts
4) piloxil

Replicel? Follica? Seriously we've had nothing meaningful to us from them... Replicel are YEARS behind Histogen in terms of their clinical trials. Histogen is our best bet. The others are just things we can only hope that happen.

Of course Follica might totally surprise all of us. For all we know (because we know nothing) they might launch something tomorrow!!!

Chance would be a fine thing :P

[burtandernie]

I couldnt agree more. People have been taken for a ride so many times already and history so far in hundreds of years has produced rogain and propecia so I think skepticism is pretty warranted. I want CB 03 01 so I keep my hair and not have to wait or get these new procedures.

[BoSox]

"Would you peel your scalp skin back? As the article states: …“sounds mildly terrifying: they start with a process called ’skin-peturbation’ where the top layers of the scalp are peeled back.”

There’s a long way to go before Follica would be able to be taken to market, so I’m not going to get excited about it yet. I’ve seen a lot of promising “cures” go nowhere over the years. We shall see."

-Dr. Rassman

How does this doctor know how far Follica is? It's discouraging reading his comments sometimes. I really hope they release soon.

[robodoc]

No one owes you a treatment dude, you can't think like you're being cheated by somebody if at this point in time there is not treatment.

No one owes us anything. It is about the researchers and their promises or the snake oil salespeople. Yea, it gets old and researchers providing minor pathways to keep the money coming for lack of a worse word.

[UK_]

We've been over this topic a billion times.

God this place is getting boring.

[burtandernie]

Yeah more preventative measures would be good. I dont think preventing MPB is quite a solved problem yet even with propecia or dut there is more going on with receptors and sensitivity that allows MPB to slowly keep progressing. We need a more powerful AA that is hopefully safer to use long term

[yeahyeahyeah]

Yeah... I'm one of them.

But I think it's mostly because the majority of people out there are too far gone for propecia to even help, it just doesnt create the same buzz as a NW7 guy going down to a NW2.

BUT if there was a good preventative treatment out there, there will be no more NW7s.

[UK_]

Ever thought that the only reason why 7% seek treatment is because they are scared of sides?

Yeah... I'm one of them.

But I think it's mostly because the majority of people out there are too far gone for propecia to even help, it just doesnt create the same buzz as a NW7 guy going down to a NW2.

[hellouser]

Ever thought that the only reason why 7% seek treatment is because they are scared of sides?

It's not really JUST the sides... its the really TERRIBLE results that come with it too; 20% regrowth, IF achieved? Thats garbage.

[yeahyeahyeah]

Oh God I know... they must realise if they release a product that slows hair loss down nobody will care... it will be like finasteride (only 7% of potential market would seek treatment)... what would be revolutionary is new hair on slick scalp.

Ever thought that the only reason why 7% seek treatment is because they are scared of sides?

[UK_]

They're definitely NOT going to release a product that simply slows down hair loss... we've had garbage products like that for the last 20+ years; finasteride and minoxidil.

Spencer Kobren confirmed they created NEW hair follicles...

Oh God I know... they must realise if they release a product that slows hair loss down nobody will care... it will be like finasteride (only 7% of potential market would seek treatment)... what would be revolutionary is new hair on slick scalp.

[hellouser]

Any treatment compared to propecia is not good enough. It's 2014, we need a cure not something that barely works.

Amen.

[BoSox]

I'm a realistic person, i'm not waiting for a cure, just a better and safer treatment than propecia.. but it seems like it's a lot to ask for..

Any treatment compared to propecia is not good enough. It's 2014, we need a cure not something that barely works.