Comparing hair loss pharmaceutical industry to other research

[Roberto_72]

I wonder if someone here works in the pharmaceutical industry and can shed some light on how the hair loss drug research compares to the research in other sectors.

I am talking in particular about the fact that:
- the only two drugs that are FDA approved to work against hair loss (Minoxidil, Finasteride) were discovered when they were being used for other problems (blood pressure, prostrate issues) and not during research directed to the real issue
- the only two drugs that are approved to work against hair loss do not work at all for some patients (especially minoxidil, that works only on 45% of people, apparently)

is that the same also for other body issues? Are most drugs basically a lottery for you? If not, why the difference?

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

The treatments for depression and acne, two areas I know about, are also mediocre at best.

Pharmaceutical industry is a parasite as a whole.

 

[Pray The Bald Away]

The treatments for depression and acne, two areas I know about, are also mediocre at best.

Pharmaceutical industry is a parasite as a whole.

People with depression are absolutely screwed when it comes to medicine. SSRI's barely perform higher than placebo unless you have a case of SEVERE depression, with the lovely addition that they often cause dependency.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

People with depression are absolutely screwed when it comes to medicine. SSRI's barely perform higher than placebo unless you have a case of SEVERE depression, with the lovely addition that they often cause dependency.

Yes, for depression there are seemingly hundreds of treatments, each with its own unique blend of effectiveness, side effects, and often fraudulent clinical trial data.

My experiences:

Trazodone 100 mg: Harder erections, better sleep, dry mouth
Prozac 30 mg: No noticeable affect
Wellbutrin 300 mg: No noticeable effect of any sort
Strattera 40 mg: Smaller dick, urinary incontinence, complete loss of appetite which led to fainting from low blood sugar, superior concentration at work
Amitriptyline 25 mg: Longer sleep

Never noticed much of an effect on my mood.

I wanted to get back on Trazodone for the side effects but it's not available in Australia, hence I'm on the inferior Amitriptyline.

 

[whatevr]

Indeed the serotonin inhibitors are the best scam ever. Happiness hormone my ***. It's interesting that tianeptine, a drug that actually lowers serotonin is still used as a treatment for depression in some parts of the world. I've taken it for a while, it didn't have any noticeable effect on me but it certainly didn't make me feel depressed , which would suggest that the "low serotonin = depression" theory is bull****.

 

[abcdefg]

The problem is no one knows how most of this stuff actually works so of course treatments dont work that well. Its mostly guessing. They find one chemical and find some vague relationship so they find a suitable molecule that causes minimal sides. You really cant fix problems if you have no idea how they work. Its like changing out parts in your carburetor one at a time when your wiring is bad.
For male pattern baldness though finasteride and dutasteride do work pretty well at preventing hair loss although we all know male pattern baldness isnt just DHT anymore