Hair loss treatment’Propecia’, male bald heads suffer from controversy that causes depression

Input 2021.03.05 14:55

“I’ve been taking’Propecia’, a hair loss treatment for one year. I’m anxious to say that it causes side effects such as depression. I’m going to ask my doctor if there is an alternative medicine and get a prescription.”

Lee Sang-woo (pseudonym), a man in his 40s, who met in front of Clinic B in Jongno 5-ga, Seoul on the 4th said: Another man in his 50s, Park Young-soo (pseudonym), said, “I am feeling depressed because of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), but as concerns over the side effects of hair loss treatments overlapped, I was worried about whether I had to stop taking long-term drugs. I believe it, and I’m eating it.”

Men who met in front of this place, one of the hospitals considered’holy land’ among hair loss people, said, “There is no medicine as effective as Propecia, but I am concerned about the side effects.” This is a hospital that is known to have reasonable medical fees and prescription drug prices, and has received word of mouth. “There is no medicine that works as well as Propecia. Some patients (depression, etc.) ask for a change in prescription because they are concerned about side effects, but it is not enough to be a big problem.”

Propecia (ingredient name finasteride), which is commonly taken by men as a treatment for hair loss, is raising the possibility that it can increase the risk of extreme choices such as suicidal thoughts by causing depression. This year, the ripples increased as reports that the manufacturer Merck & Company (hereinafter Merck) and the US health authorities have hidden side effects such as depression and suicide from this hair loss treatment drug.

Reuters reported on the 3rd of last month (local time) that it had obtained data related to the lawsuit filed in the Brooklyn Federal Court in New York on the side effects of Propecia. According to reports, Propecia manufacturer Merck (Korean subsidiary MSD) has received more than 200 reports that men who have taken drugs since early 2009 have suffered from severe depression, including suicidal thoughts. Merck did not follow up on the grounds that reports of depression and extreme choices were too few and not specific.

The problem was confirmed that Merck had persuaded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to add content related to extreme options, such as suicidal thoughts, to a statement warning of the side effects of Propecia. In 2001, the FDA received reports that more than 700 people tried to make extreme choices and 100 people died after taking the Propeciana generic drug. However, they accepted Merck’s claim that the rate of extreme choices was less than the rate of spontaneous deaths. In a statement by Merck, too, “there is no scientific evidence of the correlation between Propecia and extreme choices.”

The main component of Propecia is finasteride. Initially, Propecia was developed to treat prostatic hyperplasia, but it was also developed as a hair loss treatment as research revealed that finasteride promotes hair growth. This ingredient is known to prevent hair loss by inhibiting the secretion of a hormone called’dihydrotestosterone (DHT),’ which is the cause of male hair loss, and promote hair growth.

Despite these concerns, experts advise not to stop taking the drugs they were taking because of the controversy over the side effects of hair loss drugs such as’Propecia’. Shim Woo-young, professor of dermatology at Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, said, “There were also medical papers that refuted the controversial (Propecia side effects) paper.” Stress or depression that the patient comes from’hair loss’ itself can be more problematic. The concern that there is a side effect is rather causing a greater psychological side effect,” he said. “Rather, early treatment through the use of a hair loss treatment that has proven to be effective. It will be beneficial to health to prevent further exacerbation of hair loss.”

Bum-Joon Kim, a dermatology professor at Chung-Ang University Hospital, said, “Because it is a hair loss treatment that has already been approved by the FDA and the Korean Food and Drug Administration, it is a drug that has been sufficiently proven in all aspects such as its effectiveness.” Likewise, some personal predisposition (depression) side effects have been reported, but these are only a few cases, which are still being followed up by the FDA, etc. Even hair loss patients who do not have any problems due to side effects are also given the drug. “You can’t stop it,” he said.

He is also interested in the next generation of hair loss treatments following Propecia. Recently, Eli Lilly announced that the results of the phase 3 clinical trial of’Oluminant’, which evaluates whether it is effective for alopecia areata, were positive. Olumiant was designated by the FDA in March last year as an’innovative treatment’ for the treatment of alopecia areata. A male hair loss patient in his 30s said, “Propecia has become an indispensable’essential drug’ for hair loss people, but it is true that there are concerns as the side effects controversy grows.” We look forward to developing it.”

Propecia, the world’s first oral androgenic alopecia treatment, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997, and was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2000. With the expiration of the patent for the original drug, Propecia in 2008, dozens of generic drugs are out, but Propecia maintains the No. 1 market share in the hair loss treatment market. Among the generic drugs of domestic pharmaceutical companies, there are’Monad’ of JW Chinese and foreign drug and’Pinated’ of Hanmi Pharmaceutical.