How Long Does it Take to Develop New Hair Loss Treatments?'

Name: Judith

Question: I have read a lot of articles on your website about new treatments for alopecia areata that are being developed. My son has alopecia universalis so I am keen to help him find a cure. Could you tell me how long it takes for these treatments to become available? Thank you.

Answer: Hi, Judith. We cannot give you a precise figure as obviously this varies on a case-by-case basis. However, we can tell you that it is generally reported that the period it takes from development through to a new pharmaceutical drug becoming available to consumers is estimated at 8 to 12 years.

This is assuming the drug successfully completes all stages of the necessary clinical trials to ensure the product is safe and effective for long-term use.

It is so important to have what may seem like a long, drawn-out process in place as, whilst some drugs may flourish in the early stages of testing, or in small-scale tests, many treatments do not pass all of these mandatory, stringent criteria.

There are a number of treatments for alopecia universalis in development at the moment which appear promising, most notably tofacitinib citrate. However, their long-term suitability and safety will not be truly known until they have been consistently proven over the requisite period.

We are keeping a close eye on the latest developments in treatments for all causes of hair loss and will continue to report on the most significant as soon as information becomes available.