Scientists Find Cure For Male Pattern Baldness In Acne Drug Approved 5 Years Ago

Male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia is a common type of hair loss that impacts men, usually in their late 20s and early 30s, according to Cleveland Clinic. It causes a person to lose hair on the scalp, and the lost locks don't grow back. Thinning hair and a receding hairline are other signs that a person might suffer from this.

Many studies have been conducted on the issue and several medicines have flooded the market, promising to reverse male pattern baldness, but none have proven to be promising until clascoterone showed promising results. On Wednesday, November 31, 2025, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, based in Ireland, announced the results of two phase III trials of the drug.

Baldness Drug Shows 500% Improvement In Hair Restoration

The pharmaceutical company shared that when they compared the two sets of groups, comprising 1,500 males - one was given placebo, the other was taking the clascoterone. In the first trial, the drug showcased an improvement of 539%. In another trial, the recorded improvement was at 168%.

As far as the side effects are concerned, the company said they found clascoterone to be safe and tolerable. "With strong efficacy across the two largest Phase III studies, and a favourable safety profile, clascoterone 5% topical solution opens the door to a fundamentally better treatment paradigm for patients," said Giovanni Di Napoli, Cosmo CEO, in a statement from the company.

What Does It Mean For The Future Of Hair Loss?

The promising results are expected to fetch the FDA approval next year, which would mean that clascoterone will be the first ever drug in 30 years to treat male pattern baldness. However, it must be noted that the company Cassiopea (now a subsidiary of Cosmo) got FDA approval in 2020 to use the same drug as an acne medication.

Stages Of Male Pattern Baldness

Male pattern baldness does not happen overnight. There are seven stages, as per a report published by Cleveland Clinic,

Stage 1: There's little or no hair loss or hairline recession.

Stage 2: You start losing hair on the forehead (temples) and behind your ears.

Stage 3: You witness deep hairline recession around your temples, and your hairline looks like an 'M' or 'U'.

Stage 4: You start losing hair around the crown (top of your head).

Stage 5: The hairline recession starts connecting to the bald spot on the crown.

Stage 6: You lose hair between your temples and the crown.

Stage 7: You have no hair on the top of your head and a thin band remains around the side of your hair.

If this drug is approved, it can help many people struggling and pouring money into reversing androgenic alopecia.

Also Read | How Clascoterone Works: Acne Drug Repurposed For Male Pattern Baldness Explained

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