Health : Hair Restorer Ads Will Target Women

A prescription hair restorer for men will soon be advertised in women’s magazines now that the government has approved its use for both sexes, officials said Tuesday.

Rogaine, a 2% solution of the drug minoxidil, was introduced by Upjohn Co. of Kalamazoo, Mich., with great fanfare in 1988. But its use was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for men only, while the company continued testing it on women.

Drug industry analysts have been disappointed by Rogaine’s U.S. sales. They say the administration’s approval earlier this month for use on women will probably give the product a boost.

Upjohn estimates about 20 million women in the United States--compared to 30 million men--are affected by androgenetic alopecia, which causes hair loss.

In women, the condition generally causes hair thinning over the entire head, while male pattern baldness typically leaves men with a bald spot or receding hairline.

In women, as in men, the condition is caused by heredity, age and the presence of the male hormone testosterone.

Clinical trials show that Rogaine may be slightly more effective on women than men.

Results from studies involving more than 600 women showed that 63% of patients in the United States and 44% in Europe had hair regrowth after 32 weeks of treatment, Upjohn said.

That compares to 39% of the men in clinical trials who either grew new hair or stopped losing hair after six to eight months on the drug.

Women may be more easily satisfied than men with Rogaine’s results because their goals aren’t as dramatic.