New drug may treat baldness: Study

Scientists are calling a new medicine “an important step” for its ability to grow back hair and deal with baldness, The Sun reported.

Studies show that half of the people who took the medication regained full hair.

It was able to cope with the condition referred to as alopecia areata.

The NHS, says the condition is common and affects every 15 out of 10,000 individuals in the UK alone.

This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles causing hair to fall, leaving either small bald spots on the head or causing complete baldness.

Although the disease is incurable, some drugs help stimulate growth.

One pharmaceutical company hired more than 700 people in the United States who had alopecia.

They were divided into three groups: one received an 8mg dose twice a day, another 12mg twice a day and another received a placebo.

“A statistically significant proportion of patients” was observed to have increased hair regrowth relative to the placebo group.

About 42% experienced about 80% of their hair grow back. Some patients, though, suffered from side effects such as headaches and acne.

‘Today marks a major milestone in the advancement of new treatments for areata alopecia,’ said Dr. Brett King, a dermatologist at the Yale University School of Medicine.

“There is a great need for treatments for this problematic disease,” he added.

The drug, known as CTP-543, still requires FDA approval.

NHS reports that hair loss can be attributed to “stress, weight loss, or iron deficiency.”