Follica Device Patent

[hellouser]

Here's a patent on a device from Follica!

http://www.google.com/patents/US20140079686

Looks like a wounding device that ceates vellus hairs (big ****ing yawn). Also notice that the claims from 2 - 22 and 25 are labeled as 'cancelled'. Would that mean that the device got scrapped?

One of the devices mentioned is a Torque Plus+ model Model AEU-12C. This is actually used by dentists:

http://www.avtecdental.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=218

However the patent clearly shows a device made by Follica (Fig. 19B). A lot of the patent talks about cartridges and stuff with various agents. Haven't found yet what they're using... its a LONG patent.

Enjoy the read guys.

[clarence]

Looks like a wounding device that ceates vellus hairs (big ****ing yawn).

The text does go on about "hair-growth promoting agents that promote conversion of vellus to nonvellus (ie. same as terminal) hair that may be used in accordance with these embodiments". Minoxidil and, in one aspect, latanoprost, are mentioned as examples. "A treatment that encourages the growth of new hair follicles and/or growth of vellus hair toward terminal hair (such as integumental perturbation) combined with one that retains the hair follicles in their actively cycling states or promotes conversion of vellus to nonvellus hair, or maintains new terminal hairs or enhances further growth of new terminal hairs, offers significant value to the individual who is balding."

"In certain embodiments, treatment with integumental perturbation (with or without a post-perturbation treatment) prior to treatment with one or more hair growth-promoting agents improves the effectiveness of the hair growth-promoting agent, making the treatment more effective, efficient, cost-effective, and/or user friendly. For example, the efficacy of the agent may be increased. In certain embodiments, one of the treatments on its own is not cosmetically satisfactory, the benefits are too short-lived, or the hair that results from the treatment is vellus hair, or other thin or patchy hair, or has inadequate pigmentation. When one of these treatments is combined with treatment with one or more of the other treatments, the hair that results may be more cosmetically satisfactory, longer lasting, thicker, more uniform, and properly pigmented hair, terminal hair or scalp hair as opposed to vellus hair inferior in such attributes. In certain embodiments, more than one hair will emerge from each follicle, leading to the appearance of thicker hair."

"These results demonstrate that dermabrasion, a non-scarring method of integumental perturbation, results in growth of vellus and terminal hair as measured by clinical hair count. Vellus-sized hairs were detected at the 6 month endpoint of the study. In addition, compared to non-dermabraded skin in other studies, skin treated with dermabrasion was found to have increased numbers of activated, stimulated, or reorganzied hair follicles, based on the observation of an increase in numbers of neogenic-like (NL), pre-existing-like (PEL), and pre-existing-like, attached (PELA) follicles in dermabraded skin samples. Such structures are generally present only rarely in unwounded skin. An increased number of terminal-sized hairs at 3 months after perturbation compared to baseline, as detected in the serial hair counts by photography, also indicates that new terminal hairs can be induced to appear by integumental perturbation."

[Thinning87]

This is very very damn good. Not only is it a detailed framework for action, but it says that this is stuff you can pretty much do at home (at least this is what I got out of it).

It does not give us specific results, so this is probably one more weapon among the ones we already have, rather than a full blown cure. But it sounds like it can help a lot if the right regimen is adopted. I can see my self applying Minoxidil and doing Fin once a week in combination with this product.

[hgs1989]

they produced hair follicles on a living scalp. a lot of guys are praising growing one in a lab dish and implant it while not a single terminal hair was produced. to me follica is on par with lauster, jahoda and the rest if not betterbecause 1) at least we know that follica's hair is intact on a human scalp and just needs to be stimulated 2) the lab grown follicles might take years before reaching a human scalp.3)follica is the one who has patented pgd2 blockers for hair loss. it is too bad follica is the one that needs funding.

[hellouser]

Notice there is no mention of FGF-9 in the patent as well... perhaps thats why all of its cancelled and its the missing ingredient to terminal hair growth and the need for another 20 million dollars for Follica to run their trials?

FGF-9 was mentioned only a couple years prior to the dermabrasion device. Here's Cotsarelis' patent on FGF-9 and wounding:

https://www.google.com/patents/US20110282267

Notice these parts:

In general, the doses utilized for the above described purposes will vary, but will be in an effective amount to exert the desired effect. As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically effective amount” refers to an amount of a FGF9 or other composition for use in the present invention, which will produce the desired alleviation in symptoms or other desired phenotype in a patient. The doses utilized for any of the above-described purposes will generally be from 1 to about 1000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg), administered one to four times per day, or by continuous IV infusion. In one embodiment, a topical daily dose range, in single or divided doses, for the conditions described herein is from about 1 mg to 20,000 mg, more preferably about 2,000 mg to 16,000 mg, and most preferably about 6,000 mg to 10,000 mg of the active components (i.e., excluding excipients and carriers). When the compositions are dosed topically or intraocularly, they will generally be in a concentration range of from 0.1 to about 10% w/v, administered 1-4 times per day. In one embodiment, the compositions for use in the methods of the present invention are administered topically two times a day.

FIG. 1. FGF9 is expressed during inductive period of hair follicle regeneration at Day 1 after scab detachment (SD).

So, looks like you need to wound and add FGF-9 twice a day between 0.1% to 10% concentration.

Basically: wound, create a scab, remove the scab and inject FGF-9 with potentially other stuff and hope for hair. The patent however does NOT state whether the follicles would grow vellus or terminal hairs.

[Sammygirl]

Sounds a lot like a popular scar/acne/anti-ageing beauty treatment already in practice.....

[hellouser]

Sounds a lot like a popular scar/acne/anti-ageing beauty treatment already in practice.....

Far from it...

[Xoxo]

they produced hair follicles on a living scalp. a lot of guys are praising growing one in a lab dish and implant it while not a single terminal hair was produced. to me follica is on par with lauster, jahoda and the rest if not better. it is too bad follica is the one that needs funding.

Does this look only obvious and simple to me? If a company has already a treatment that works pretty well, especially on the human scalp, there is no problem at all in finding fundings.

[hellouser]

Does this look only obvious and simple to me? If a company has already a treatment that works pretty well, especially on the human scalp, there is no problem at all in finding fundings.

Apparently Follica needs 20 million dollars for a full cure. Does that mean that a full cure exists and they don't want to tell us what the fck it is?

[Xoxo]

Apparently Follica needs 20 million dollars for a full cure. Does that mean that a full cure exists and they don't want to tell us what the fck it is?

So 20 millions... that looks a bit strange and it doesn't look like something is coming soon. I could be wrong, e.g. if it isn't for research purposes but for advertising and releasing something to the market. Potential investors will of course be shown exclusivly the current state of their products and they also need to deliver a persuading proof of their concept to them. Very different from what we get to know.

[NeedHairASAP]

If follica needed $20M for a new cure, they would have it. There is no way they are "definitely" $20M away from a $50B+ a year business and not getting the $20M...

more likely they need $20M to maybe find and market the cure... hopefully.

[Pentarou]

Apparently Follica needs 20 million dollars for a full cure. Does that mean that a full cure exists and they don't want to tell us what the fck it is?

I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but I wouldn't put that past them.

[hellouser]

So 20 millions... that looks a bit strange and it doesn't look like something is coming soon. I could be wrong, e.g. if it isn't for research purposes but for advertising and releasing something to the market. Potential investors will of course be shown exclusivly the current state of their products and they also need to deliver a persuading proof of their concept to them. Very different from what we get to know.

The research is pretty much done. Cotsarelis has been working on the wounding theory for about a decade (or more?). If the money was supposed to go towards marketing, we'd have the treatment ready for use. Since neither of those are valid, then it's gotta be something inbetween; clinical trials.

You could speculate that we just trolled the hell out of Desmon84 and spat out a random number. Or he threw out a high number to get investors to fund him and Follica (and a big paycheck). Whatever the case is, I wouldn't doubt for a second they've got SOMETHING credible but are not releasing it.

[NeedHairASAP]

The research is pretty much done. Cotsarelis has been working on the wounding theory for about a decade (or more?). If the money was supposed to go towards marketing, we'd have the treatment ready for use. Since neither of those are valid, then it's gotta be something inbetween; clinical trials.

You could speculate that we just trolled the hell out of Desmon84 and spat out a random number. Or he threw out a high number to get investors to fund him and Follica (and a big paycheck). Whatever the case is, I wouldn't doubt for a second they've got SOMETHING credible but are not releasing it.

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Dude... if they had something credible they would release it. Nobody is sitting around trying hard to not make tons of money.

[hellouser]

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Dude... if they had something credible they would release it. Nobody is sitting around trying hard to not make tons of money.

They're not releasing shit if they don't get through clinical trials. Which they haven't.