Mercks developing PGD2 Blocker!

[Desmond84]

Hey guys,

Just an update on all the Costraelis stuff. This is what I've found:

There are currently THREE selective CRTH2 antagonists being investigated:

1) AM-211 by Amira Pharmaceuticals

2) AM-156 by Amira Pharmaceuticals

3) MK-7246 by Merck Pharmaceuticals!

Now, Phase I for MK-7246 in Asthma has already been completed! They're also developing other analogues of MK-7246 as back up in case MK-7246 is not effective in Phase IIa trials.

This all sounds very promising and let's hope it proves safe to be used! The future is looking brighter every day

[JJacobs152]

Would be a good combo for patients who are suffering from asthma and hair loss. I wonder if this will anyway potentially lead to kidney failure. Decreased PGD2 --> decrease in the PGE --> arf.

[Desmond84]

Would be a good combo for patients who are suffering from asthma and hair loss. I wonder if this will anyway potentially lead to kidney failure. Decreased PGD2 --> decrease in the PGE --> arf.

Dude tell me about it! Playing with T-cells is always messy! There's bound to be some side effects....

You know they're just finding out all the TNF-alpha blockers might be causing lymphoma and other cancers.

So who knows what this drug can do!

[JJacobs152]

Dude tell me about it! Playing with T-cells is always messy! There's bound to be some side effects....

You know they're just finding out all the TNF-alpha blockers might be causing lymphoma and other cancers.

So who knows what this drug can do!

Link to this, por favor? Leukemias and lymphomas were sooo many when I took path, it was crazy. All the AMLs, CMLs, etc etc. That's crazy that the TNF blockers could lead to lymphomas.

[ammin]

With all due respect , it is irresponsible for both of you to speculate on a potential treatments side effects.

This is why polio hasn't been eradicated from the northwestern provinces of pakistan . Because the Taliban keeps perpetrating lies about the vaccines. I am in no way suggesting that is analogous to the dialogue you two are having but it has the same effect on the decisions made by people with AA

However, IMHO, it isn't imprudent to discuss a potential treatment's efficacy.

But when you express concerns about possible cancer inducing properties of a future hair loss drug/ointment based on a poor understanding of their mechanisms, it leads to fear mongering and precludes hair loss sufferers from availing these safe options to fight AA when they do come to market.

[Desmond84]

Link to this, por favor? Leukemias and lymphomas were sooo many when I took path, it was crazy. All the AMLs, CMLs, etc etc. That's crazy that the TNF blockers could lead to lymphomas.

Here's one:

http://www.discoverymedicine.com/Hyon-Ju-Park/2012/03/27/tnf-alpha-antagonism-and-cancer-risk-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-is-continued-vigilance-warranted/

They still haven't confirmed it. It just seems like the number of malignancies in patients using these is rising!

[JJacobs152]

With all due respect , it is irresponsible for both of you to speculate on a potential treatments side effects.

This is why polio hasn't been eradicated from the northwestern provinces of pakistan . Because the Taliban keeps perpetrating lies about the vaccines. I am in no way suggesting that is analogous to the dialogue you two are having but it has the same effect on the decisions made by people with AA

However, IMHO, it isn't imprudent to discuss a potential treatment's efficacy.

But when you express concerns about possible cancer inducing properties of a future hair loss drug/ointment based on a poor understanding of their mechanisms, it leads to fear mongering and precludes hair loss sufferers from availing these safe options to fight AA when they do come to market.

Actually, we didn't mention anywhere that PDG2 blockers would result in cancers. Desmond, was referring to another class/group of drugs which cause this. Those group of drugs are known as TNF-alpha blockers.

Also, I think it is a good idea to talk about side effects especially people who have a science, medical, pharmacological, biochemical background. It sheds more light on the topic.

[Desmond84]

With all due respect , it is irresponsible for both of you to speculate on a potential treatments side effects.

This is why polio hasn't been eradicated from the northwestern provinces of pakistan . Because the Taliban keeps perpetrating lies about the vaccines. I am in no way suggesting that is analogous to the dialogue you two are having but it has the same effect on the decisions made by people with AA

However, IMHO, it isn't imprudent to speculate on a potential treatment's efficacy.

But when you express concerns about possible cancer inducing properties of a future hair loss drug/ointment based on a poor understanding of their mechanisms, it leads to fear mongering and precludes hair loss sufferers from availing these safe options to fight AA when they do come to market.

Point taken Ammin

We're just saying based on previous experiences with immuno-modulators which have shown to increase the risk of cancers, one shouldn't rule out the same possibility for PGD2 blockers and great deal of caution should be taken to establish its safety. Particularly since they are being used for a cosmetic purpose rather than a life-threatening illness.

[ammin]

Touche, Well then all I can say is the following , and I say it with the utmost humility:

Please discuss side effects responsibly and only after fulling understanding the underlying mechanisms of these treatments. If you are not knowledgeable on a drug , but would still like to discuss its efficacy and contraindications to remedy your ignorance, kindly admit to the same.

It really puts the minds of laymen like me who are browsing these threads to rest.

Incidentally, I was aware that TNF alpha blockers were a different class of compound than PGD2 inhibitors but to connect their carcinogenic properties, 'suggested' by a handful of studies, to the carcinogenic potential of pgd2 ,seemed extremely reckless.

[Desmond84]

Anyways, on a more positive note, good news is Merck is developing a PGD2 blocker. Now these guys have the in-house expertise for treatment of hair loss and will most likely take up Costraelis's offer for a topical formulation.

To top it off, Propecia loses its patent in 2014 making Merck even more eager to get a new hair loss drug on the market

[The Alchemist]

This is good news but, the problem is that these drugs are still in early clinical trials for asthma. That means they'll first have to get through all the clinical phases to get on the market for asthma. That should take well over five years. Then, if it makes it to market, they would have to go back and reformulate the drug for a hairloss treatment and start at phase II all over again. So now you're talking almost a decade.

Maybe the asthma drug would be efficacious for MPB, and could be used off label, but that's unlikely. Even if this is the case, it's a long way off.

I'm seriously starting to think that Aderans is the only feasible "near term" solution. But, we still don't know what type of results they're getting. Maybe Histogen, but, i think they might take longer then people are expecting.

[rdawg]

Good news to actually see a legimate testing for the PGD2 blocker.

more than intrigued by what this stuff can do.

hopefully there will be some positive updates within a year or so.

many products being studied/tested right now! both clinically and on the grey market haha. Something out there is working, IMO it's a matter of time now. The good news is starting to roll out.

[rdawg]

This is good news but, the problem is that these drugs are still in early clinical trials for asthma. That means they'll first have to get through all the clinical phases to get on the market for asthma. That should take well over five years. Then, if it makes it to market, they would have to go back and reformulate the drug for a hairloss treatment and start at phase II all over again. So now you're talking almost a decade.

Maybe the asthma drug would be efficacious for MPB, and could be used off label, but that's unlikely. Even if this is the case, it's a long way off.

I'm seriously starting to think that Aderans is the only feasible "near term" solution. But, we still don't know what type of results they're getting. Maybe Histogen, but, i think they might take longer then people are expecting.

Was it not proscar that was approved for prostate 5 years before propecia? Many used it off-label back then. I'm sure many could do the same for this if there are a lot of positive signs for hairloss and not any alarming side-effects.

[hellouser]

Would a PGD2 blocker treatment be in topical or oral form?

[The Alchemist]

Would a PGD2 blocker treatment be in topical or oral form?

This where i think the problem for baldies will be. The blockers are being developed for asthma, so will most likely be oral or inhaler. For hairloss it would probably need to be topical - and thus have a different dose and vehicle etc.. which would make off label use difficult. Maybe it will work for baldness as an oral agent, but that might be a long shot.