Merck and Dutasteride?

[JJ Gittes]

Excerpt from an article on hair transplation in today's New York Times:

"Also on the horizon is a promising drug called dutasteride, being tested by Merck for its hair-growing ability. Like Propecia, dutasteride was originally approved to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate gland, by blocking DHT. But because Propecia blocks only one of the two types of DHT and dutasteride blocks both, doctors expect it will work even better, and some are already cautiously giving it to their hair-loss patients when other medical therapies have failed. A spokesman for Merck said the company has not yet decided how far it will go in studying dutaseride as a hair-loss remedy, but the company is preparing the results of a study for publication in a medical journal."

The full article is here (you have to register but it's free):

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/15/healt ... .html?8dpc

 

[bombscience]

sounds like a bit of misinformation to me. dutrasteride didn't make it past phase II in the trials.

 

[Brasileirao]

I believe it didnt past phase II because GlaxoSmithKline, the company that makes the drug, didnt want to pursue it any further. If Merck becomes a player in the research this could be good news. Of course only time will tell, but its always encouraging to see the big boys going after solutions for hair loss.

Out!
Tony

 

[JJ Gittes]

sounds like a bit of misinformation to me. dutrasteride didn't make it past phase II in the trials.

Dutasteride didn't make it past GSK's phase II trials. However, here we have a Merck spokesperson telling a reporter from the New York Times that Merck is studying the drug.

Therefore, I wonder if Merck has purchased, or is planning on purchasing, the rights to market dutasteride as a hair loss drug?

 

[The shedder]

yea, i'm optimistic because propecia was first used as proscar to treat the prostate as dutasteride is. Then it became used for hairloss after, i hope dutasteride takes a similar path. I have heard the side effects may be an issue for it though

 

[Bryan]

Therefore, I wonder if Merck has purchased, or is planning on purchasing, the rights to market dutasteride as a hair loss drug?

Interesting theory, no matter how unlikely it probably is.

BTW, Merck has their own specific 5a-reductase type 1 inhibitor, called MK386. Combining MK386 with finasteride would produce results very similar to dutasteride; however, the catch here is that MK386 isn't FDA approved yet (to get it approved = mucho $$$), whereas dutasteride is already approved (although not for hairloss).

Bryan

 

[Bismarck]

Why has dutasteride not been approved? I see 3 main possible reasons:

1.) Side effects not tolerable for a hairloss drug?
2.) Costs would not be amortized: Quite expensive + Propecia is predominant on the market?
3.) Some alliance with Merck?

 

[kiwi1973]

it cant be to hard to find out if these any truth in this
just do a search on goolge or look at merck web site

 

[Bryan]

The truth has now finally been revealed: Merck isn't testing dutasteride. Only Glaxo is doing that. It was a mistake by that Times reporter.

Bryan

 

[kiwi1973]

The truth has now finally been revealed: Merck isn't testing dutasteride. Only Glaxo is doing that. It was a mistake by that Times reporter.

Bryan

so is glaxo looking into use avodart for hairloss again or is this just a big mix up

 

[The shedder]

If dutasteride was available cheaper and approved for hairloss, who would wait for finasteride to lose its effectiveness and switch to dutasteride, and who would just switch right off the bat? I'd probably wait for finasteride to stop working, then again I might get greedy and run for the dutasteride.

 

[Deaner]

I'd get greedy and run for dutasteride. I want maximum regrowth!

 

[The shedder]

yea i probably would too if the side effects were tolerable