THO7 topical spray is an experimental hair loss treatment presently in clinical studies. It has been in the media stating it’s the latest and greatest treatment for hair loss and is better than finasteride and minoxidil. This is categorically unfounded and untrue.
The TH07 topical spray research was based on a very small study of only 40 patients (of which 6 dropped out). The endpoints used to evaluate efficacy were only the “patient self-assessment” and the “physicians’ assessment”. These are notoriously 2 very unreliable endpoints to judge the efficacy of a product. This small study design, in a limited treatment window, with biased assessment study endpoints would never pass the efficacy test in the FDA approval process.
Also Read: Is Clascoterone the Miracle Cure for Hair Loss?
What is TH07?
Topical TH07 is comprised of a mixture of three different dissolved ingredients:
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- 5% minoxidil
- 0.1% finasteride
- 0.03% latanoprost
Minoxidil is already FDA approved in a 5% topical solution for androgenetic alopecia in both men and women, and can be acquired at any store or pharmacy without a prescription.
Finasteride is already FDA approved orally in a 1-mg dose for androgenetic alopecia in men. Topical finasteride is already compounded by physicians and prescribed “Off-Label” for androgenetic alopecia.
Latanoprost is a prostaglandin analog that is FDA-approved as an eye drop (Xalatan) for glaucoma. Another similar prostaglandin analog, Latisse (bimatoprost 0.03%), is FDA approved for eyelash growth/thickness. Studies of bimatoprost for androgenetic alopecia have currently ceased.
Also Read: Taiwan’s New Hair Regrowth Serum: Fact or Fiction
My Medical Opinion
All 3 of these ingredients have been shown in other studies to mildly stimulate the hair follicle to grow a little longer and a little thicker hair. Therefore, I do feel there will be a benefit to topical TH07 for androgenetic alopecia, but it’s already “recreating the wheel” by using products that are already on the market, so it’s not a new wonder drug. Topical treatments can sometimes cause scalp irritation, dryness, or itching, and also require a more time-consuming daily application routine compared to a pill. Lastly, any headline stating that Topical TH07 is actually better than finasteride and minoxidil for treating androgenetic alopecia is factually inaccurate.
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Dr. Paul J. McAndrews is a world-renowned expert in hair loss and hair restoration, and one of only two physicians to have served as President of both the ISHRS and the ABHRS. He is a Clinical Professor at USC/LAC Medical Center and an Expert Medical Reviewer for the California Medical Board, with more than 20 years of experience performing hair transplant procedures, including both FUE and FUT. Serving patients throughout Los Angeles and Southern California, he is regarded as one of the best hair transplant specialists in Los Angeles.