Study on new hair loss Treatment wants you!		Profile Gallery added to Discussion Forum
	Creators of Tricomin Celebrate top Sales		Apples: A hair loss Treatment from Japan?
	ProCyte&Neutrogena to Create new Product		Dutasteride trials to continue in Germany?
	Tricomin goes to Television Distribution		George Bush rejects Snake Oil Salesman
	Revivogen Answers more of your Questions		Merck Propecia Advertising Criticized
	Nizoral hair loss Study Added to DRC		Updates to the FAQ Page
	Propecia Frontal Hair Study added to DRC		Monthly Topic: Drugs that Cause Hair Loss
	Finasteride Microdosing Study added to DRC		Human Genome Project Update

Study on New Hair Loss Treatment wants You

Bristol Myers/Squibb is conducting a nationwide study to determine the effectiveness and safety of an investigational medication for male pattern hair loss. In this study, the medication will be applied to the surface of the scalp for a duration of 30 weeks with monthly visits to a dermatologist. It is being conducted from several states across the nation, and they would like volunteers who qualify to fill out the form below regarding being a part of the study. This compound is chemically similar to Minoxidil (Rogaine) in that it works by opening ion channels within cells. However, the compound being tested has been shown to be 1000 times stronger than Minoxidil as a channel opener / potential hair growth stimulant.

If you are a Male between the ages of 18 and 40 and fit the criteria listed on the page below, we welcome you to fill out the form at the bottom of the page, and participate in the study. We would also ask that those who do not qualify for the study according to the list of requirements, not participate in this study. It is important to keep studies like this accurate and useful, or it will be to the detriment of hair loss sufferers everywhere. Thank you for your understanding. 

For more information and to register for this study, please go to http://www.HairlossSucks.com/therastudy.htm

ProCyte - Creators of Tricomin Celebrate top sales

ProCyte Corporation Announces Quarterly Revenue Jumps 75%

October 19, 2000 -- ProCyte Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: PRCY), a leading developer and marketer of proprietary products for the skin health, hair care, and wound care markets, today reported its resultsfrom operations for the third quarter ending September 30, 2000. 

Revenues for the quarter increased 75% to $1,662,906 as compared to $948,915 for the same period a year ago. The Company finished the quarter ended September 30, 2000, with $3,144,132 in cash. 

Growth in the quarter was driven by continued strong sales of the Company's proprietary products, such as Tricomin hair loss products. Proprietary product sales increased 58% in the third quarter to $1,310,753, as well as a 187% jump in revenue from contract manufacturing, licenses, and royalties. 

"Our business continues to show solid revenue growth due to our aggressive sales and marketing campaigns," commented Jack Clifford, Chairman and CEO of ProCyte Corporation. "This is an exciting time in the Company's history, as a number of our efforts are beginning to translate into revenue. We are beginning to realize more revenue from a larger percentage of our distributors and licensees, which should 
continue to drive growth in the coming quarters. 

You are invited to discuss this story with others on the Discussion Forum:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?27/91

ProCyte and Neutrogena to Create a new Copper Peptide Product
Tricomin goes to Television Distribution

Read about Tricomin Products:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/tricomin.htm

As most of you know, Tricomin products make use of Copper Peptides to stimulate hair growth, and have been proven in clinical studies to be successful at this endeavor. Recently, Jack Clifford, Chairman and CEO of ProCyte Corporation announced: "We are signing an agreement to sell our Tricomin products through a national television-shopping club. We are also continuing our support efforts with Neutrogena, as they prepare to launch their product, which utilizes our patented Copper Peptides, in the early part of 2001." 

Clifford added, "As we previously reported, we intend to continue to support the contract manufacturing business and we are actively seeking an experienced manager to head up the operation. And, we are also considering other options, which could bring in outside investors into this operation." 

About ProCyte: 

ProCyte Corporation is a healthcare products company that develops and markets products for skin health, hair care and wound care. ProCyte's products include a comprehensive therapeutic skin care line including products for post-procedure treatment and anti-aging applications, as well as products for thinning hair. Products incorporate ProCyte's patented, clinically proven copper peptide technology, which are marketed both directly and through distribution partners. 

We look forward to hearing continued good things from ProCyte and Tricomin, and will keep you informed of any new developments in their combined efforts with Neutrogena to create a superior product.

You are invited to discuss this story with others on the Discussion Forum:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?27/91

Revivogen Answers more of Your Questions

Several more questions have been collected by our users and replied to directly by the Revivogen folks. You are invited to review the new set of questions on the Revivogen Question and answer page located here: http://www.HairlossSucks.com/revivofaq.htm

Nizoral Study Added to the Document Resource Center

Those of you using Nizoral to help control your scalp condition are invited to view the much spoken of study regarding Ketokonazole, the active ingredient in Nizoral. This study was done to determine the effect of Ketokonazole on hair loss, and how the inflammation it controls can affect hair loss when appropriately kept in cheque.  It's a very interesting study and you may be surprised exactly how effective this shampoo is at assisting in the hair loss fight. Make sure it's a part of your regimen if you are experiencing any itching,  flaking or redness.

To view the Nizoral Study please visit our Document Resource Center and look in the "Nizoral Related" section.

http://www.HairlossSucks.com/hairlossdocs.htm

NOTE: You must download Acrobat Reader to view this
PDF File. At 56k it is about a 15 minute download.

Discuss Nizoral with Others:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?27/117

Propecia Frontal Hair Loss Study added to Document Resource Center

This is a rare jewel! Don't miss it. We have gotten our hands on the clinical study which tested the effectiveness of Propecia on frontal hair counts. This study is very easy to read and very clear in its results and graphs, so I won't go into it too much here, just go to the HairlossSucks Document Resource Center and take a look. This is another study with surprising results...

To view the Propecia Frontal Hair Loss Study, follow this link and look in the "Propecia Related" section.

http://www.HairlossSucks.com/hairlossdocs.htm

NOTE: You must download Acrobat Reader to view this
PDF File. At 56k it is about a 15 minute download.

Discuss Propecia with Others:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?27/251

Finasteride Microdosing Study added to the DRC

Yet another rare jewel - we continue to ramp up our online library of clinical studies that are of interest to you, with this additional study related to Propecia. This study goes in to a 12 month trial testing the effect various doses of finasteride (active ingredient in Propecia) had on hair counts. Propecia being 1mg, they attempted to see the differences between 1mg results, the results of a Placebo, and the results at 0.01mg, and 0.2mg. As part of the study there was also a 6 month test to see if taking 5mg daily would make any difference.... think it did?

Check it out: "Propecia Related" section...
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/hairlossdocs.htm

NOTE: You must download Acrobat Reader to view this
PDF File. At 56k it is about a 15 minute download.

Discuss Propecia with Others:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?27/251

ADDITIONAL STUDIES:

Note that we have also added other studies to our library including correlation between hair loss and heart disease as well as DHT inhibition via fatty acids. Please check back to this page as we will continue to update this section and make it a valuable resource for your research.

http://www.HairlossSucks.com/hairlossdocs.htm

Human Genome Project Update

For those of you interested in follow-ups regarding our August 2000 article on the human genome project, including all the new things being discovered by the biotech companies... The Human Genome project web site has put an update of recent discoveries and challenges reported on September 26, 2000.

To see it, go here:
http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/archive/weeklyupdates/20000926.html

Profile Gallery added to Discussion Forum

The Discussion Forum continues to grow in participation as well (unfortunately) as becoming a target for Snake Oil salesmen to market their wares, but we have recently added a gallery of Profiles for you to view the 62 Profiles that our users have set up. If you are a participant and have a profile, make sure you log in and set up the many advanced features available to you like Email notifications and uploading of photos. Those of you who post regularly are invited to set up a profile by clicking the "Your Profile!" link on the left navigation. You will also see the Profile Gallery link immediately below it, called "Browse Profiles". 

To view and participate in the Discussion Forum, simply go here:
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/discussions/

Apples:  Hair Loss treatment from Japan?

Fancl succeeded in launching a new hair-growing agent, a quasi- drug called "Medicated Mohkatsurin PB". Fancl Corporation has collaborated with Kyowa Hakko Co., Ltd. for the commercialization of a hair-growing agent since April 1998 and obtained the NDA (New Drug Application) approval for "Medicated Mohkatsurin PB" as a quasi-drug from the Japanese Health Authorities, KOSEISHO, on October 12, 1999.

The product will be marketed nationwide through the sales network of Fancl from the 20th December, 1999. In Japan, 10 million persons are estimated to suffer from thin hair. Male pattern baldness is caused by inheritance, and disturbance in hormonal balance. It is increasing and will further increase in the future under a severe scalp environment. Under such situations, Kyowa Hakko undertook the study on hair growth around 10 years ago and has repeated the screenings (compound searching) of mainly natural materials using evaluation systems of its own development. As a result, Kyowa Hakko discovered that Procyanidins, a kind of Polyphenol extracted from Apples, possess the activity of selectively promoting the outer root sheath cell growth which causes hair growth, and has been engaged in the study for its practical use. It recently went commercial in collaboration with Fancl Corp. Procyanidin is well known to have potent effects of antioxidation, active oxygen elimination, and aging retardation, etc. It is commonly used as a safe and non-irritative raw material for cosmetics mainly in Europe. However, its application as a hair-growing agent is the first of its type. In "Medicated Mohkatsurin PB" is compounded "Procyanidin PB" rich in Procyanidin dimer and trimer found to possess the particularly marked activity of promoting proliferation of the outer root sheath cells in vitro. In addition, it contains Swertia Japonica (a Japanese green gentian) extract, Pantothenyl ethylether, and fÀ-glycyrrhetinic acid are compounded to promote hair-regeneration and hair-growing effects by Procyanidins.

The product is formulated to make the effects of "Procyanidin PB" efficient. Fancl enters into the field of hair growth stimulators to generate new hair for the scalp and hair-growing agents with this "Medicated Mohkatsurin PB" born as a result of collaboration with Kyowa Hakko and will positively promote the sales as a new business strategy for the 21st century.

Fancl expects the sales amount of 100 million yen from the market launching at the end of March 2000 and 700 to 1,000 million yen for the whole fiscal year 2000 (from April 2000 to March 2001).

The details of the product are as follows:

Brand name: Fancl "Medicated Mohkatsurin PB" Price: 3,500 yen for a box of one bottle, 10,000 yen for a box of three bottles (plus turnover tax) Contents: 60 ml per bottle Application: About 1 ml once, two applications daily Ingredients: PB, Swertia herb extract, pantothenyl ethylether, fÀ-glycyrrhetinic acid, wine yeast extract Characteristics: (1) "Medicated Mohkatsurin PB" directly activates the outer root sheath cells and hair matrix cells and promotes hair generation and growth.

The disturbance in hair cycle (hair generation - anagen phase - catagen phase - telogen phase - hair loss) is said to be one of the causes of male pattern baldness. The product activates proliferation of the outer root sheath cells and hair matrix cells, promotes the shift to anagen phase in the hair cycle to decrease falling hair and promotes hair growth. (2) The product promotes blood flow to prevent falling hair. It provides dermal papilla cells and hair matrix cells with nutrition and oxygen, prevents falling hair, and promotes the growth of healthy hair. (3) The product keeps the scalp and hair in normal condition. It controls excessive activity of the sebaceous gland and suppresses the peroxidized lipid formation by an antioxidant effect, and prevents the damages on the scalp. It controls excessive male hormones, adjusts the hair cycle, and protects hair. 

Note:  HairlossSucks does not endorse nor have any information as to the validity of the claims found above. We simply found it interesting that a team of researchers saw positive results with hair using an Apple extract. Maybe one of you out there is a scientist who can use this information and build something from it. Keep the information flowing....!

Dutasteride trials on hair loss to continue in Germany?

It has been confirmed that Glaxo has contacted a dermatological research center in Marburg, Germany regarding the completion of the final phase of trials for Dutasteride on hair loss. Kevin J. McElwee of www.Keratin.com has verified that his superiors were contacted directly by Glaxo regarding plans to make use of their facilities for this purpose. Glaxo plans to submit an NDA (New Drug Application) in the beginning of 2001 for Dutasteride's use in treating BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia), however Glaxo has a reputation for making promises and breaking dates, so let's keep our fingers crossed but expectations in cheque.

Nevertheless, it is good news to note that they found reason to continue trials on hair loss, and there have been rumors of its amazing effectiveness at treating hair loss. For those of you who are not familiar with Dutasteride, to put it in layman's terms, it is a treatment which works similarly to Propecia, only it inhibits both types of 5-alpha reductase, rather than just one type. The potential benefits of it are needless to say high, however the safety profile seems to be a potential problem, as the greater amount of DHT inhibition tends to equal a greater risk of side effects.

Discuss Dutasteride with others in the Discussion Forum:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?144/165

George Bush rejects a Hair Loss Snake Oil Salesman

George W. Bush and the Florida Republican Party decided Friday to return thousands of dollars in donations to a contributor with a troubled record of selling ``alternative'' medicines.

A. Glenn Braswell has made millions selling products making claims such as removing cellulite and curing baldness. He has also served federal sentences for mail fraud and perjury. Braswell, 57, gave $25,000 to George W. Bush's 1998 Texas gubernatorial campaign. Dan Bartlett, a spokesman for the Bush campaign in Austin, said the campaign sent back the money Friday as soon as it learned Braswell was a felon.

George W. Bush does not know Braswell personally, Bartlett said. Jamie Wilson, the executive director of the Florida GOP, said the party returned a $100,000 check given at a Miami fund-raiser attended by both Bush governors. Wilson said the party decided Friday it would return another $125,000 Braswell has given since 1998.

Also, prodded by a fund-raiser, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush wrote a column for magazine given to those who bought Braswell's products, The St. Petersburg Times reported Friday. The article Bush wrote was published with a picture of him and George W. Bush.

In 1983, Braswell was sentenced by a federal judge in Atlanta to three years in prison for mail fraud and perjury charges stemming from his sale of Bio-Genesis, a supposed cure for baldness, and Formula 12, a substance that was supposed to remove cellulite.

A year later, while he was still serving that sentence, he pleaded no contest to a grand theft charge stemming from a burglary arrest at a home he was renting to a former employee in Fort Lauderdale.

Merck targeted for Inappropriate Propecia Advertising

Group says drug company ads may inappropriately lure consumers

A consumer group said Wednesday it had conducted a study that shows expensive U.S. mass media ads by drug companies may be inappropriately luring patients to expensive newer medicines and driving up costs of health care.

The National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation said pharmaceutical companies spent $1.8 billion on such ``direct-to-consumer'' (DTC) television, radio and print advertisements in 1999, up 38.5 percent from the $1.3 billion spent in 1998 and 33 times the $55 million spent on U.S. mass media ads in 1991.

``The (DTC) ads send a strong signal that prescription drugs are just like any consumer product -- soap, cereal, cars, snack foods etc.,'' the foundation study said. It alleged the main purpose of the ads was not to educate consumers, but to create name and brand recognition for the medicines.

The foundation said its nationwide study showed retail spending for prescription medicines in the United States soared 19 percent from 1998 to 1999. Although it said there was no proof the ads caused the surge in sales and a 34 percent increase in number of prescriptions being written for the top 25 drugs in 1999, the foundation said ``the circumstantial evidence is strong.'' Claritin, the blockbuster allergy medicine topped the list for the second year in a row with DTC spending of $136.8 million in 1999, the foundation said. In second place was Prilosec, the heartburn medicine which accounted for $79.4 million in ad spending.

Others included anti-obesity treatment Xenical, and Merck & Co's Propecia hair-growth drug that posted tepid sales growth despite $71 million in DTC ads.

Nancy Chockley, president of the foundation, said the ever-growing ad spending has aroused worries ``that people are beginning to ask their doctors for newer and costlier medicines when less expensive drugs may work just as well.  These findings raise many questions. Among the most important is whether mass media ads for prescription drugs will further push pharmaceutical companies to become marketing powerhouses focused on selling drugs rather than developing truly innovative ones,'' the study said. 

Drug prices and spending have emerged as one of the top issues in the current U.S. presidential campaign. Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic Party candidate, has lambasted the pharmaceutical industry -- saying steep drug prices have forced some Americans to chose between medicines and food. But Jeffrey Trewhitt, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), said in an interview that the DTC ads provide consumers with vital facts about drugs and diseases and that they are careful to mention side effects as required by law.

``Yes, they are advertising and marketing, but they are empowering patients with detailed information and patients want to be empowered to know about treatment options,'' said Trewhitt, who noted that another news organization had provided him an early embargoed copy of the foundation study. 

In fact, Trewhitt said an article published by a national magazine last summer indicated that over 20 million Americans had gone to their doctors for checkups after seeing DTC ads. ''They heard about symptoms and that rang a bell, which is a constructive development,'' he said.

Updates to the Frequently Asked Questions document

We have recently updated the Hair Loss Frequently Asked Questions document on HairlossSucks.com, and you are encouraged to check it out.. We added a feature to the page whereby you can click the "Updated On..." date and see an archived list of what exactly has been added or modified. This will save you the time of having to fish through the entire document to see the changes. All are encouraged to keep your education's current on the basic hair loss treatment knowledge and visit this page:

To view the FAQ Document on Hair Loss:
http://www.HairlossSucks.com/faq.htm

Monthly Topic: Newly Approved Drugs that can cause Hair Loss

We are adding this feature to help keep you apprised of any new medications on the market which have a potential side effect of hair loss. We will be adding an archive of medications known to cause hair loss as well, so stay tuned. Here are this month's recent drug applications/approvals, etc....

** Creator: SmithKline Beecham 
** Name of Drug: Hycamtin
** Topotecan HC for Injection

Hycamtin is indicated for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer sensitive disease after the failure of first-line chemotherapy, and has recently been identified as having hair loss as a side effect.

** Creator: Merck & Co., Inc.
** Name of Drug: Crixivan (indinavir sulfate)

Used in part as a treatment for HIV patients, to reduce levels of HIV viral levels in Protease Inhibitor-Naive patients. This drug has been identified as having hair loss as a side effect.