Merck, Sharp and Dohme

Propecia 5 year study

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Propecia 5 year study

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9 out of 10 men keep their hair with Propecia

The objectives of the 5 year PROPECIA study were to assess how effective and how well tolerated PROPECIA is in men with male pattern hair loss, over 5 years.

Results

The PROPECIA study represents the longest reported controlled observations in men with MPHL, and showed that long term treatment with PROPECIA led to significant and durable improvements.

65% of men taking PROPECIA had increased hair counts after 5 years - none of the men taking placebo showed any increase.

And treatment with PROPECIA for 5 years led to sustained protection against further visible hair loss in nearly all (90%) of men.

By comparison, 75% of the men in the placebo group showed further visible hair loss.

Finally, the men taking PROPECIA felt more satisfied with their appearance than men taking placebo.

The study also showed that the long term use of PROPECIA in men with MPHL is not associated with an increase in the incidence of adverse experiences, or any new safety concerns.

 

How the trial was done

The 5 year study was an extension of the original PROPECIA clinical studies. At the end of the original study, 1,215 of the 1,553 men taking part stayed on for up to four more years, in four, one year extension studies.

(For details of the original study, see 'PROPECIA Clinical Trials').

In the original one year study half the men were taking PROPECIA, and half were taking placebo (a dummy pill). Neither group knew which they were taking, real or dummy. At the end of the first year, the two groups were divided again. Half of the group that had been taking placebo for 1 year was put onto PROPECIA, and half stayed on placebo. And the same happened to the group that had been taking genuine PROPECIA for a year - half went on to placebo, and half stayed on PROPECIA.

All the men stayed taking whatever they had been assigned for the next four years, except for the group who were switched from PROPECIA to placebo, who were switched back onto PROPECIA at the end of year 3.

All the men were checked once a year to see how they were getting on.

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