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CompletedNCT04774874Updated Mar 1, 2021

A Phase 2a Trial of FOL-005 Topical Formulations to Investigate Hair Growth Potential and Safety in Healthy Male Volunteers

A Phase 2 interventional study of Topical formulation in Androgenetic Alopecia, sponsored by Follicum AB. Completed at 1 site in Germany. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-03-01.

Sponsored by Follicum AB · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 8 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jun 2020, registered Feb 2021).
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
209
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 55 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

This exploratory phase IIa, double blind, randomized, vehicle controlled, multicenter dose-finding trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of FOL-005 topical formulation (at 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.5% strength) administered once daily (in the evening) for 16 weeks in healthy male subjects with androgenetic alopecia.

Read the detailed description

This exploratory phase IIa, double blind, randomized, vehicle controlled, multicenter dose-finding trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of FOL-005 topical formulation (at 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.5% strength) administered once daily (in the evening) for 16 weeks in healthy male subjects with androgenetic alopecia.

The trial will be performed at three centers in Germany. The aim of the trial is to determine the most efficacious dose of FOL-005 topical formulation based on efficacy dose trends. It is planned to randomize 220 subjects (with a ratio 1:1:1:1 FOL-005 0.1%; FOL-005 0.5%; FOL-005 1.5%; vehicle).

The trial consists of a screening period of up to three weeks and a treatment period of 16 weeks.

Eligible subjects will be randomized at Baseline (Day 1) and will apply the investigational products themselves at home once daily for 16 weeks. Subjects will return to the sites bi- weekly for check of compliance and assessment of local tolerability. At Day1, Day 84 and Day 112 subjects will be evaluated for hair growth parameters by TrichoLAB imaging. The end of the clinical trial for each individual subject is defined as the Final Visit at Day 112. In case of premature termination of a randomized subject an Early Termination (ET) visit should be performed.

02

Conditions studied

  • Androgenetic Alopecia

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03

In context

Alopecia

511 studies on the registry are indexed under Alopecia; 128 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 209 is above the median of 50 across 430 interventional studies indexed under Alopecia.

Browse Alopecia studies →

Lead sponsor

Follicum AB is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 55 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Healthy male, aged 18-55 years
  2. Skin phototype II, III and IV according to Fitzpatrick's classification (Fitzpatrick et al. 1974)
  3. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) classified according to Hamilton Norwood grade 3V, 4, 5, 5A, 5V (Hamilton, 1951)
  4. Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits
  5. Willing to maintain the same hair hygiene products and general hair care habits during the trial period
  6. Willing to maintain the same hair length and hair color during the trial period
  7. Willing to have treatment areas shaved for TrichoLAB® measurement and marked with small semi-permanent dot tattoos
  8. Willing to avoid prolonged UV exposition and UV tanning beds
  9. Signed written before participation in the trial.
  10. Subjects with a hair length of above 1 cm

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Damaged skin in or around test sites including sunburn, uneven skin tones, tattoos, scars or other disfiguration of the test sites risking to interfere with evaluations
  2. Any dermatological disorders of the scalp which might interfere with the application of the investigational product (IP) or examination method, such as fungal or bacterial infections, seborrheic dermatitis (except mild forms which are managed with OTC shampoos and which do not require dermatological treatment), psoriasis, eczema, folliculitis, that require chronic use of medication or scalp atrophy
  3. Any skin pathology (e.g. scar, nevus) or general condition (e.g. uncontrolled thyroid diseases) that in the Investigator's opinion can interfere with the evaluation of the test areas or requires prohibited topical or systemic therapy
  4. History of active hair loss due to alopecia areata, scarring alopecia, diffuse telogen effluvium or conditions other than androgenetic alopecia
  5. Diabetes mellitus
  6. Presence of any acute (e.g. acute infections) or chronic illness (e.g. psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, porphyria, folliculitis) or presence or history of known skin cancer that in the opinion of the Investigators might confound the results of the trial
  7. History or clinical signs of keloids or hypertrophic scars
  8. Immunological disorders such as alopecia areata, and systemic lupus erythematosus and other systemic known disorders
  9. Current or within the last 6 months history of severe dietary or weight changes
  10. Hair transplantation at any time
  11. Known sensitization to cosmetic hair dyes or to any ingredients of the IP or tattoo ink.
  12. Application of topical minoxidil preparation or any other topical over-the counter (OTC) or prescription medication for hair re-growth to scalp for 4 weeks or more during a 6 months period before enrollment.
  13. Use of or planned use of shampoo with expected medicinal effect on the scalp (e.g. but not limited to anti-dandruff containing ketoconazole, anti-psoriatic, anti-fungal or shampoo containing urea, caffeine, acetylsalicylic acid, etc.) during the course of trial
  14. Topical treatments of the scalp including , tacrolimus, retinoids or other treatments that may affect hair growth in the last 3 months as well as during the trial.
  15. rich plasma (PRP) or any mesotherapy treatment on scalp during the last 12 months as well as during the trial.
  16. Systemic therapy using retinoids, cyclosporine, beta blockers or corticosteroids within the last 6 months as well as during the trial.
  17. Scalp procedures e.g. surgery, laser, light, micro-needling within the last 6 months as well as during the trial.
  18. Finasterid (e.g. Propecia®) or Dutasteride intake or topical application in the last 12 months, or any systemic hair therapy medication in the last 12 months as well as during the trial.
  19. Other systemic therapy which in the opinion of the Investigator might affect hair growth
  20. Current or within 2 weeks prior to first dosing use of vasodilating drugs (e.g. Pentoxifyllin, nitroglycerine) or anticoagulating drugs (e.g. heparine, cumarines, new oral anticoagulants, regular intake of acetylsalicylic acid)
  21. Current or within 3 months prior to first dosing use of systemic corticosteroids (nose drops, eye drops and/or inhalers are permitted) or other drugs (e.g. cyclosporine A)
  22. Elevated values for vital signs: blood pressure: systolic above 160 mmHg, diastolic above 95 mmHg, pulse rate: above 100 beats/min
  23. Planned or scheduled subject surgery or hospitalisation during the course of the trial
  24. Previously randomized in this trial (only valid for subjects included after 01JUN2020)
  25. Psychiatric conditions that might limit the participation in the trial and/or that lead to the assumption that the ability to completely understand the consequences of consent is missing.
  26. Subjects, who are inmates of psychiatric wards, prisons or state institutions.
  27. Participation in a clinical trial with investigational medicinal products within the last 30 days prior to the Day 1 and / or during this trial.
  28. Employees of the trial sites who are directly involved in this trial or employees of the Sponsor's company.
  29. If in the opinion of the Investigator the subject should not participate in the trial for any reason.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(7)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

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Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
209 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    FOL- 005 (0.1 %)

    topical formulation

    Drug: Topical formulation

  • Experimental
    FOL -005 (0.5 %)

    topical formulation

    Drug: Topical formulation

  • Experimental
    FOL -005 (1.5 %)

    topical formulation

    Drug: Topical formulation

  • Placebo comparator
    Vehicle

    topical formulation

    Drug: Topical formulation

Interventions

  • DrugTopical formulation

    Topical administration on the scalp once daily for 16 weeks

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in total hair density at week 16

    The change in total (terminal+vellus) hair density (hair count (n per cm²)) from Baseline to Day 112

    Time frame: 16 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in total hair density at week 12

    The change in total (terminal+vellus) hair density (hair count (n per cm²)) from Baseline to Day 84

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  2. Change in terminal hair density at week 16

    Comparisons of treatments on terminal hair density at week 16 based on relative differences to Baseline

    Time frame: 16 week

  3. Change in vellus hair density at week 16

    Comparisons of treatments on vellus hair density at week 16 based on relative differences to Baseline

    Time frame: 16 week

  4. Change in telogen hair density at week 16

    Comparison of the change from Baseline (Day 1) to week 16 in percentage of telogen hairs (number of telogen hairs /total number of hairs) for each IP separately

    Time frame: 16 weeks

  5. Change in anagen hair density at week 16

    Comparison of the change from Baseline (Day 1) to week 16 in percentage of anagen hairs (number of anagen hairs /total number of hairs) for each IP separately

    Time frame: 16 weeks

  6. Safety parameters

    Adverse events

    Time frame: 16 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • ProDerm GmbH
    Hamburg, Germany
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 1, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04774874
Lead sponsor
Follicum AB
Collaborators
proDERM GmbH, Hair and Skin Institute, Charité, Berlin, Germany, CentroDerm GmbH
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 1, 2021
Start date
Jun 24, 2020
Primary completion
Jan 29, 2021
Completion
Jan 29, 2021
Last update
Mar 1, 2021

Study contacts

Ulrike Blume-Peytavi
principal investigator · Klinik für Dermatologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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