Potential Cure for Hair Loss being Developed by Pfizer

A new hair loss treatment is being developed by pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer.

Despite there being no cure for hair loss, many research groups and facilities around the world are reporting successful outcomes when using stem cells to promote hair regrowth. Which means, if there is ever going to be a permanent cure for baldness, then stem cell research may be our best hope.

Stem cell generation is nothing new, and has been around for the most part of the last decade, however, it appears researchers are now making bigger strides than ever, so much so, that a potential cure for hair loss could be developed by 2025.

UCLA researchers have discovered a new way to activate the stem cells in the hair follicle to make hair grow. The research will most likely lead to an array of new drugs that could promote hair growth for people with common types of hair loss or alopecia.

In August 2021, Pfizer's ritlecitinib showed that it improved scalp hair growth in alopecia patients in a phase IIb/III clinical trial. The big pharma company is planning to file for approval soon and aims to launch the drug within the next three years.

As exciting as this sounds, we shouldn't forget that we've been here before. Scientists have developed numerous hair loss treatments that have shown plenty of potential, however, but most have fallen flat on their face. This shows that developing cure for hair loss is a complex issue.

Ritlecitinib (previously PF 6651600) is a small molecule, being developed by Pfizer, for the oral treatment of ulcerative colitis, alopecia areata, vitiligo, and Crohn's disease. The drug acts as an inhibitor of janus kinases 3 (JAK3) and TEC family kinase (Emt-protein-tyrosine-kinase).

Ritlecitinib was shown to reduce scalp hair loss to less than or equal to 20% after six months in Pfizer's Phase IIb/III trial. Pfizer have announced positive results from the Phase IIb/III ALLEGRO trial evaluating oral once-daily ritlecitinib in patients with alopecia areata (AA).

Is this the cure we've been waiting for? Time will tell.

The only medically approved hair loss treatments on the market are:

Minoxidil. Minoxidil (Rogaine) is available without a prescription. You spray or rub it into your scalp 2 times a day. It can be used by both men and women.
Finasteride. Finasteride (Propecia) is available by prescription. It's a male hair loss pill that you take once a day.

There are also some non-medically approved hair products that can help prevent hair loss and support the function of healthy hair growth in men and women.