Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the US, famously joked that two things in life were certain: death and taxes.
For many men, however, a third inevitability looms – baldness.
In June, Pelage Pharmaceuticals announced “positive results” from Phase 2a clinical trials of PP405, a drug which aims to combat male-pattern baldness and the thinning of hair in women.
The drug is designed to “reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells” and could become a “first-in-class” treatment for men and women, Pelage Pharmaceuticals said in a statement.
The treatment could “go beyond slowing the hair loss process and directly drive hair follicle regeneration,” said Dr Christina Weng, the company’s chief medical officer.
“This is a milestone that expands the possibilities of regenerative medicine,” she added. “As we advance into the next stage of clinical development, our focus remains on delivering a science-driven solution that works for everyone.”
Trial results show encouraging signs
The phase 2a trials involved 78 participants - men and women – with each person applying the drug or a placebo to their scalp once a day for four weeks.
According to the results published by the company, four weeks after the treatment finished, an increase in hair density of 20 per cent or more was seen in almost one third of men who had a greater degree of hair loss. No improvement was observed in the placebo group.
Pelage Pharmaceuticals says what is particularly significant is the drug’s apparent ability to kick-start hair growth in follicles where no hair was previously present.
A new approach to hair regeneration
PP405 has been developed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and targets a series of chemical reactions in cells. Male-pattern baldness is largely caused by genes, although environmental factors also play a role. In some men, it begins in their late teens, with rates increasing with age.
A US study found that 16 per cent of men aged 18 to 29 had “moderate to extensive” hair loss, while among 40-somethings the figure was 53 per cent. Over their lifetime, 80 per cent of men will experience hair loss.
Also, about 40 per cent of women will be affected by a thinning of their hair cover.
Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, said that with respect to medication, “some progress” had been made with male-pattern baldness.
“It’s inducing the hair follicles to be stimulated to wake up and start doing things they used to do once upon a time,” he said.
A true cure, however, remains elusive. Indeed, a 2023 paper in Trends in Biotechnology said that the most effective treatment remained a hair transplant.
This paper noted that “the needs and expectations of patients” were typically not met by current drug treatments, which were often expensive and had limited effectiveness.
According to the study, only two drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration have been marketed as treatments following four decades of research – and these were branded as being only “marginally effective”.
A lucrative market driving innovation
According to figures quoted in the Trends in Biotechnology paper, the global alopecia market was worth $7.6 billion in 2020, and by 2028 is likely to reach $13 billion. Some estimates have put the sector’s value as being even higher.
“Because it’s a huge market there’s a lot of research to find a solution,” Dr Pankhania said. “I remain optimistic, just as I remain optimistic with the management of [other conditions including] sickle cell anaemia. There’s a demand.”
While PP405 has sparked many headlines, there are many other strands of research aimed at gaining a better understanding of male-pattern baldness in the hope of finding a cure. Much of this centres on the genetic basis for the condition.
Research by the University of Bonn and other institutions in Germany, published in 2023, found a link between rare variants of five genes and male-pattern baldness. The results, the university said when its findings were released, could lead to improved treatments.
So for those whose hair is thinning or has almost completely gone, there are causes for optimism – assuming, of course, that they feel that their baldness needs to be cured.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Jebel Ali card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
The National selections
1.45pm: Cosmic Glow
2.15pm: Karaginsky
2.45pm: Welcome Surprise
3.15pm: Taamol
3.45pm: Rayig
4.15pm: Chiefdom
4.45pm: California Jumbo
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
