Hope on the horizon for hair loss sufferers

The first patient has been treated in the Phase IIa clinical trial in Germany with Follicum's lead candidate FOL-005 on 60 patients with hair loss. The study is being conducted at Clinical Research Center for Hair and Skin Science in Berlin and bioskin, Hamburg, Germany.

The global market for pharmaceutical hair loss products for both men and women is estimated to be worth $3 billion. The available drug products have unwanted side-effects that limit their use.

FOL-005 is a modified short version of the endogenous protein, osteopontin. In the recently completed Phase I/IIa study, FOL-005 was shown to be effective and safe in stimulating hair growth with 3 out of 4 subjects responding with increased hair growth. The present Phase IIa study aims to investigate the safety and effect of different doses of the drug candidate FOL-005 or placebo, administered as injections at two sites on the scalp. The study is expected to be completed in late 2018.

CEO Jan Alenfall commented: "This is a major milestone for Follicum. Our intention with the forthcoming study is to confirm the interesting results from the recently completed study, where we saw both good efficacy and safety as well as a very high patient response. Hair loss is a poorly served indication, with little innovation or success to date. We hope that FOL-005 will provide a breakthrough."

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