BACK TO MAIN LISTING Hope for the bald.(Propecia)
Maclean's v111, n28 (July 13, 1998):62 (1 pages).COPYRIGHT 1998 Maclean Hunter (Canada) For the first time, a drug that can help many balding men regrow at least some of their
missing hair is available in Canada. According to Kirkland, Que.-based Merck Frosst Canada Inc., Propecia works for about two-thirds of men afflicted by male-pattern baldness, which can
begin eroding the hairline in men in their 20s and eventually affects about 70 per cent of Canadian men. Dr. Jerry Shapiro, director of a hair research and treatment centre at the
University of British Columbia, said that in clinical trials of the drug, about six per cent of the men tested experienced "dense" regrowth of their hair, while about 60 percent had
mild to moderate regrowth. The pill has to be taken daily, at a cost of about $1.50 each; if discontinued, hair loss will return. Merck Frosst officials said the pill is largely free
of side-effects, but noted that fewer than two per cent of the men tested experienced a loss of sexual desire and a decrease in semen production. |
