Eirion Therapeutics initiates phase 1 trial for ET-02 for androgenic alopecia treatment

Key takeaways:

• ET-02 is a topical treatment that targets hair follicle stem cells that have become defective.
• The drug exhibits the ability to return stem cells to normal functioning.

The first participant has been enrolled in Eirion Therapeutics’ phase 1 study evaluating the safety of ET-02 for the treatment of androgenic alopecia, the company announced in a press release.

ET-02 is a topical pharmaceutical that targets returning hair follicle stem cells to normal function when they have become defective or inactive in men facing age-related hair loss.

“A controlled pre-clinical study of ET-02 treating 90 human scalp tissue grafts from men who have intermediate-stage androgenic alopecia demonstrates this pharmaceutical's potential to restore hair growth and return hair follicles to normal structure and function,” Jon Edelson, MD, CEO and president of Eirion, said in the release. “Because of ET-02's unique mechanism of action, we believe that ET-02 has the potential to not only treat androgenic alopecia but prevent it.”

According to the release, the company believes that ET-02’s ability to address the fundamental cause of androgenic alopecia may position the drug as significantly more effective than existing treatments.

Additionally, because ET-02 does not target hormonal pathways, the company does not expect the drug to cause related side effects, such as sexual dysfunction.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study will analyze the safety of once-daily ET-02 treatment over the span of 28 days in approximately 24 subjects at three separate centers across the U.S.

According to the release, the company also believes that the drug can prevent hair greying — an indication that they intend to pursue in the future.