'Rogaine' in a Pill? Oral Minoxidil Aces Major Hair Loss Trial

Hair loss might soon become a lot easier to treat for people who prefer a pill. An oral version of minoxidil, the active ingredient in the brand-name topical product Rogaine, has just aced a late-stage clinical trial. On Monday morning, pharmaceutical Veradermics announced the first results of a Phase II/III trial testing out its minoxidil formulation, codenamed VDPHL01. The drug passed all of the trial’s set goals, and substantially more people taking the drug experienced hair growth compared to a placebo group. The company plans to pursue regulatory approval of VDPHL01, which it will likely win. “VDPHL01, if approved, has the potential to transform how physicians and patients approach pattern hair loss for men,” said Veradermics scientific advisor Maryanne Makredes Senna, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, in a statement released by the company. Topical minoxidil, which is applied to the scalp, has been a standard hair loss treatment for over three decades, typically taken over-the-counter. Though topical minoxidil can be effective at preventing or slowing down hair loss, particularly pattern baldness (also called androgenetic alopecia), it has its d