Fluridil: more than three years after its 'rational' debut

Dave001

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"Fluridil, a rationally designed topical agent for androgenetic alopecia: [three years after the] first clinical experience"

It has been more than three years since the publication of the first and only fluridil trial (if one can call it that):

Sovak, M., A. L. Seligson, et al. (2002). "Fluridil, a Rationally Designed Topical Agent for Androgenetic Alopecia: First Clinical Experience." Dermatologic Surgery 28(8): 678-685.

One might wonder if a consensus concerning the effectiveness of fluridil has been reached within the medical community in the roughly three years following its introduction. Interestingly, the mere mention of fluridil is almost completely absent from the literature. A search of MEDLINE using the keyword "fluridil" yields only the initial 2002 trial.

I was able to find a *single* article that mentioned the word "fluridil" by searching the full text of all articles in ScienceDirect published after 2002. Here is the relevant text from that article:

"A topical anti-androgen, fluridil has recently been rationally developed for use in male androgenetic alopecia. It is designed to be locally metabolized, not systemically resorbable, and degradable into inactive metabolites without antiandrogenic activity [34]. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that patients using topical fluridil had an increase in the anagen to telogen ratio, and the maximum attainable effect is achieved within the first 90 days of daily use. No side effects on libido and sexual performances have been found. Nevertheless, a longer study is required to further investigate fluridil's long-term safety and effectiveness in male androgenetic alopecia."

That's from the section entitled "Future drug development: topical anti-androgens" in the recent review article by Sinclair et al:

Sinclair, R. D. (2005). "Male androgenetic alopecia (Part II)." The Journal of Men's Health & Gender 2(1): 38.

It's funny that the author wrote "fluridil has recently been rationally developed," especially considering the title of the fluridil study. What about the development process of fluridil was so rational that its "rational development" deserves special recognition? Are most drugs developed irrationally? ;-)

I can only imagine the messages that will follow:
  • "I used fluridil for two whole months but my hair loss continued to rapidly progress."[/*:m:20b40]
  • "It improved the quality of my hair after three months."[/*:m:20b40]
I find it amusing when others give vivid accounts of the two-dozen radical transformations in hair growth that they experienced during a one-year span, considering that Androgenetic Alopecia usually progresses over decades.

It was interesting that Sinclair, in the review article referenced above, noted that a change in hair density of at least 20% is often necessary before a difference becomes noticeable from photographs taken at baseline.
 

jack2

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I dont understand your point? Are you suggesting fluridil is a scam? This isnt a strong argument. I can think of many more reasons to think it isnt a scam. If this is so, prehaps you can offer a stronger argument?
 

Dave001

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jack2 said:
I dont understand your point? Are you suggesting fluridil is a scam? This isnt a strong argument.

What exactly is the antecedent of "this"? What is the argument? It is not at all clear from the context.

jack2 said:
I can think of many more reasons to think it isnt a scam. If this is so, prehaps you can offer a stronger argument?

More reasons than *what*? Again, what argument are you referring to? The disjointed list of observations maintained par for presentation in forum discourse. If you want more, it will cost you.

Fluridil has been available for more than three years, yet as far as the medical and scientific community is concerned, it doesn't even exist. The initial clinical trial failed to impress any peers in the scientifc community. Get it?
 

lordhair

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Well, Fluridil could definitely do with more clinical trial data but there isn't a great deal of data for other topical DHT inhibitors either

I would like to see FDA approval or more trials for all of these topicals but that isn't likely to happen because of the expense
 

jimmystanley

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there are a lot of guys who say that fluridil has helped them dramatically. how could this be?...aside from saying that it could be another treatment or that it could be placebo
 

mvpsoft

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There are people who say that saw palmetto helped them too. Anecdotal evidence is inherently unreliable. It's better than nothing at all, but it's best not to put too much faith in it.
 

Axon

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Yep, it doesn't do sh*t. This is the community that once debated the properties of olive oil and beer as a topical, as it were.
 

Old Baldy

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Dave001 said:
Fluridil has been available for more than three years, yet as far as the medical and scientific community is concerned, it doesn't even exist. The initial clinical trial failed to impress any peers in the scientifc community. Get it?

I get it!! (I think. :lol: )
 

Dave001

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mvpsoft said:
There are people who say that saw palmetto helped them too. Anecdotal evidence is inherently unreliable.

I agree.

mvpsoft said:
It's better than nothing at all, but it's best not to put too much faith in it.

I would have agreed in the past. However, I now think that anecdotal accounts of experiences with hair loss products are more misleading than helpful.
 

Dave001

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jimmystanley said:
there are a lot of guys who say that fluridil has helped them dramatically. how could this be?...aside from saying that it could be another treatment or that it could be placebo

Gee, I suppose it *must* be effective if that's what others have said. Kinda like "Zix," eh?

To clarify, I have never said that fluridil can't or doesn't work. I am, however, very skeptical of the evidence currently available. It's unusual for a drug to have completed a clinical trial in humans without any in vitro or animal research having been published. What evidence is there thus far that fluridil even behaves as an antiandrogen? None. There's no published evidence, anyway. I also think that the one study we do have was very poorly designed, and the fact that it was done by the manufacturer makes its value even more dubious.
 

luke77

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I still don't understand WHY fluridil hasn't been investigated further. It's not like the study that was done was set up with bad study design...it seems like other scientists would be interested since it's not an (obvious) scam...
 

Dave001

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luke77 said:
I still don't understand WHY fluridil hasn't been investigated further. It's not like the study that was done was set up with bad study design....

Really? How do you feel about their decision to eliminate the controlled environment midway into the study? And their explanation for doing so?

luke77 said:
it seems like other scientists would be interested since it's not an (obvious) scam...

No one but the patent holder is going to fund the initial research required to generate such interest.
 

HairlossTalk

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I just want to say how much I *love* watching people like jimmystanley give this site a bad rap because we don't hop the bandwagons and then just waiting a good 6 months to hear people comment on how stupid and pointless and useless the most recent bandwagon ended up being.

You guys feel free to get blown around with every gust of wind. I prefer stability based upon data.

HairLossTalk.com
 
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