Assessing Systemic Pharmacodynamics of Topical Finasteride The first study on topical finasteride in humans was completed in 1997 by Mazarella et al as a single-blind, placebo-controlled study, including 28 males and 24 females patients with AGA. Subjects were randomized to receive either 1.0 mL topical FNS 0.005% solution or placebo twice daily to the affected scalp for 16 months. Pharmacodynamic data reveals no significant change in plasma levels of total testosterone, free testosterone, and DHT between the groups. At sixth months, researchers observed a significant decrease in the rate of hair loss in the topical FNS compared to the placebo group. Patients’ opinion on the effectiveness of treatment was generally positive among the FNS group, with 73% of treated patients reporting “high effectiveness”, compared to 60% of placebo patients reporting “no effect”.10 Five years later, a double-blind, randomized clinical trial with 45 AGA male patients compared topical FNS gel 1% to the scalp twice daily with oral placebo tablets (group A) to oral FNS 1 mg daily with a control vehicle (group B) applied to the scalp twice daily. In group A, increased terminal hair counts were observed at the third month of treatment (P equals 0.001); however, increased hair counts were noted one month earlier in the group B (FNS tablet and placebo gel). During therapeutic period, the size of alopecia area(s) was not significantly altered in group A, but in group B the change in alopecia area was significant at the fourth month of treatment. Both groups demonstrated increased hair counts with moderate therapeutic response but no differences were noted between treatment groups.11 Studies comparing topical FNS 0.25% (2.275 mg/mL) (P-3074) to systemic FNS 1 mg tablets for AGA therapy have shownA Systematic Review of Topical Finasteride in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia in Men and Women
April 2018 | Volume 17 | Issue 4 | Original Article | 457 | Copyright © April 2018
Sung Won Lee MD, Margit Juhasz MD, Pezhman Mobasher MD, Chloe Ekelem MD, and Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska MD PhD
University of California, Irvine, CA
Assessing Systemic Pharmacodynamics of Topical Finasteride The first study on topical finasteride in humans was completed in 1997 by Mazarella et al as a single-blind, placebo-controlled study, including 28 males and 24 females patients with AGA. Subjects were randomized to receive either 1.0 mL topical FNS 0.005% solution or placebo twice daily to the affected scalp for 16 months. Pharmacodynamic data reveals no significant change in plasma levels of total testosterone, free testosterone, and DHT between the groups. At sixth months, researchers observed a significant decrease in the rate of hair loss in the topical FNS compared to the placebo group. Patients’ opinion on the effectiveness of treatment was generally positive among the FNS group, with 73% of treated patients reporting “high effectiveness”, compared to 60% of placebo patients reporting “no effect”.10 Five years later, a double-blind, randomized clinical trial with 45 AGA male patients compared topical FNS gel 1% to the scalp twice daily with oral placebo tablets (group A) to oral FNS 1 mg daily with a control vehicle (group B) applied to the scalp twice daily. In group A, increased terminal hair counts were observed at the third month of treatment (P equals 0.001); however, increased hair counts were noted one month earlier in the group B (FNS tablet and placebo gel). During therapeutic period, the size of alopecia area(s) was not significantly altered in group A, but in group B the change in alopecia area was significant at the fourth month of treatment. Both groups demonstrated increased hair counts with moderate therapeutic response but no differences were noted between treatment groups.11 Studies comparing topical FNS 0.25% (2.275 mg/mL) (P-3074) to systemic FNS 1 mg tablets for AGA therapy have shown
