Eirion Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in aesthetic prescription products, announced successful results from its first human trial of ET-02, a topical treatment for androgenic alopecia (age-related hair loss).
According to Dr. Jon Edelson, Eirion’s CEO, about 80 million Americans suffer from hair loss, and current treatments are limited. He said ET-02’s unique action could both treat and prevent this condition. The recent clinical trial marked an important step toward a potential new solution for hair loss.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 24 participants across three U.S. sites. Subjects were divided into three groups receiving either a placebo, a 1.25% ET-02 solution, or a 5% ET-02 solution once daily for four weeks. Follow-up assessments were made one week after treatment ended.
Key findings included:
- Safety: ET-02 was safe and well tolerated.
- Dose Response: Minimal effects were seen in the placebo and 1.25% groups. The 5% ET-02 group showed a strong positive response.
- Hair Growth: The 5% ET-02 group saw a six-fold increase in normal (non-vellus) hair count compared to placebo after five weeks.
- Hair Width: The 5% ET-02 group improved hair width by about 10%, while placebo showed no change.
For comparison, the hair growth results for 5% ET-02 after one month surpassed those seen with minoxidil after four months in a separate large trial. Minoxidil is currently the “gold standard” treatment for androgenic alopecia.
The new results confirm earlier pre-clinical studies showing ET-02’s superior effectiveness over minoxidil in human scalp tissue grafts.
Eirion plans to begin a larger Phase 2 trial of approximately 150 subjects in 2025. This study will last six months and aims to confirm ET-02’s safety and effectiveness.
Dr. Jerry Shapiro, a leading hair loss expert at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, praised the findings as “clear-cut and remarkable.” He noted the unprecedented hair growth in just five weeks and highlighted ET-02’s non-hormonal mechanism, which may avoid side effects seen with other treatments like finasteride. Dr. Shapiro also pointed out the convenience of once-daily use compared to twice-daily minoxidil applications.
Eirion believes ET-02 could be more effective than current therapies by targeting what the company sees as the root cause of androgenic alopecia. Additionally, ET-02 may help prevent hair graying by affecting melanocyte stem cells responsible for hair color.
Eirion Therapeutics will present these results at the Aesthetics Tech Forum in Newport Beach, California, on January 9, 2025.
