The first pill for pattern baldness in almost 30 years is edging toward market after a successful late-stage readout. Veradermics, based in New Haven, Connecticut, said its candidate VDPHL01 hit the trial's key measures in 536 men with mild to moderate hair loss. The drug is a minoxidil tablet engineered for extended release, using the same active ingredient found in Rogaine.
At the six-month mark, those on once-daily VDPHL01 saw mean increases of 28.6 hairs for each square centimeter of scalp. Twice-daily dosing added 36.4, compared with 6.6 for placebo. More participants on the drug also said their hair coverage improved versus the placebo group.
The treatment was broadly well tolerated, with no serious adverse events attributed to the drug and no heart-related adverse events. That said, swelling and extra hair growth occurred more often with VDPHL01 than with placebo.
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Veradermics designed its oral formulation to curb cardiovascular risks associated with minoxidil. Oral minoxidil is not approved for hair loss but is commonly used off label by dermatologists. The new results line up with an April study in more than 500 men, but there is still no head to head comparison against standard oral minoxidil, leaving open whether the new pill materially improves on a cheap generic. Veradermics is also testing the drug in women, with results anticipated in the first half of 2027.
Biotech and Big Pharma are piling in. Mizuho's Jared Holz views hair loss as the next major consumer health arena, with "competition heating up by the day," in a note published before this data. Cosmo NV is closing in on market with an experimental topical, and Pelage Pharmaceuticals recently kicked off a late-stage study of a treatment aimed at reawakening dormant follicles. Eli Lilly joined a 26 million dollar financing for Amplifica and put 40 million dollars into Absci Corp., and Novo Nordisk has signaled interest in the space.
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