Category: Hair Cloning

Hi Dr. Rassman and thanks for a great website. I’m curious about the September update Intercytex said they would provide. I know you don’t work public relations for Intercytex so this could be kind of an annoying question, but when in september do they plan on updating us? seeing as it’s already half over.

Here’s what I found posted to their site last week in their September 18, 2008 update —

ICX-TRC – hair regeneration
Data from the Phase II trial shows increase in hair count in 11 out of 14 (79%) evaluable subjects at 24 weeks

A little lackluster for those that have been waiting, but that’s all they have made available this month about their hair project.

Dr. Rassman,

On Tuesday of this week, Intercytex posted a press release on their website. This press release outlines the company’s clinical results for 2007.

The release does not tell us anything new about the phase 2 trial of ICX-TRC, which is due for completion later this year. It does, however, say the following:

“We believe the continued development of ICX-TRC would best be carried out in partnership with a specialist in the aesthetics field. We do not intend to finance the continuation of clinical and commercial development of ICX-TRC beyond the current Phase II trial and shall seek to sign a partner when we have the complete data package from this trial. Intercytex has granted Bosley, the largest chain of hair transplant clinics in the US, an option to negotiate distribution rights to the product.”

My initial reaction is that Intercytex no longer thinks it is worth developing the treatment any further. What are your thoughts on this?

I do not know enough about Intercytex and its research and development to adequately comment of the matter from a medical perspective. This sounds like a business issue. Drugs or techniques developed by one company often get sold off to another company (common in pharmaceutical industry).

Dear Doctor,

I know you have had many questions on hair multiplication over the years (but here is another one).

When/if hair cloning becomes commercially viable will it regenerate old, dead hair follices and make them DHT resistant so they continuously grow or will it create new follicles? I imagine it would be better to regenerate old follicles so that the hair grows in the same direction. I know that intercytex have managed to grow hair on a high proportion of their volunteers in phase 2 of their product, but was wondering whether you have any inside knowledge of whether they are creating new follicles or creating new ones. Also, what do you think of their progress? Many thanks

Some people think that there is a missing protein, and that when present, it will kick in hair growth from some residual hair elements that are in the scalp. If a missing protein is the answer, then the growth cycle may be dependent upon that molecule (see Scientists Find Hair Growth Molecule in Mice). There are many approaches to creating hair — some with existing hair follicles that are weak, from dead hair follicles that may not really be dead, or from stem cells which may actually turn into a hair organ/follicle.

I do not really keep up with Intercytex, but you can go to their site and get an update from their various news releases. Just as most press releases, they are written by a public relations person to hype the product or company, so take what you read with a grain of salt.

Snippet from the article:

Just seven months after its $5.5 million Series A financing round, the Boston-based startup today announced it has raised an additional $11 million to bolster its efforts to develop new methods of treating male- and female-pattern baldness and other hair-follicle disorders such as excessive hair growth and acne.

Read the full story — New Fundraising for Hair-Raising: Follica Takes in $11 Million for Baldness-Treatment Approach

What does this all mean for the future of hair cloning / multiplication? Well, that remains to be seen. This is exciting stuff and I hope the additional funds will bring this technology to the next level. As for when/if it’ll make it to market — well, I couldn’t say. Follica just came on the scene in late 2006 and I’d expect many years to come before anything of substance came out, if at all. Not to be a pessimist, but we’ve seen a number of failed attempts at these types of methods over the years. Lots of questions remain, and this is still the very, very early stages.

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I know you’ve been skeptical in the past when discussing hair multiplication, at least its viability in the near future (next 2-3 years). I’m wondering if you’d be willing to update your views on the timeframe for one of these “cure” solutions, and/or what you think the most promising treatments, drug or surgical, are on the horizon and what kind of timeframe we’re looking at. Obviously this requires a good deal of speculation but you are much better informed on the state of the hair loss treatment industry than most of us who just read your blog and don’t have time to get into the hardcore research.

Thanks for your blog!

Hair multiplication is most likely more than 2-3 years away. There was some talk about it at the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) conference years ago, but nothing was said this past year (not the upcoming one in September, obviously), which I take to mean that there was no advancements worthy to take through FDA type of clinical trials. It is still an elusive “cure” far away on the horizon, but hopefully in our lifetime.

To put it in perspective, the cure for HIV/AIDS, diabetes, herpes, and even the common cold with billions of dollars invested in research is still a far distance away and may be easier to cure than balding is. I realize that the 10 year prediction seems to be a rolling number, but there is nothing out there to suggest that any breakthrough is imminent. I’m sure that statement will cause me to receive an email flood from angry fans of press releases, but show me some reproducible proof and I’ll be glad to post an update here.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

Seems Phase II of Intercytex’s studies on hair regeneration have came back positive. The important part is here:

“The new technique involves extracting dermal papilla (DP) cells, the basic cells responsible for hair growth, from a sample of only about 100 hairs from the back of the scalp – the area where hair usually continues to grow despite losses in other areas. These cells are then multiplied many times over in a special patented culture before being injected back into the scalp in their millions, stimulating the formation of new hair follicles or rejuvenating those that have stopped producing hair on the top of the head.”

I thought your readers would be interested in this update. Granted, there is still at least 5 years of tests ahead.

Thank you for the heads up! A number of people sent this link to me yesterday, but I was traveling and didn’t get to post it until now. The article says that the results will be available next year, and I’d love to see them.

You can read the article at TimesOnline.co.uk — Feeling a bit thin on top? This cloning story may restore your crowning glory