NCT01548066

The Efficacy and Safety of Topical Valproic Acid in Preventing Hair Loss

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (actual)
• Sponsor: Seoul National University Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 19 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Beta-catenin, the transducer of Wnt signaling, is critical in development, growth, and regeneration of hair. In the absence of Wnt signals, cytoplasmic β-catenin is maintained at low level through regulation by GSK-3, multifunctional serine/threonin kinase. After phosphorylation by GSK-3, β-catenin is ubiquitinated and degraded in cytoplasm. Therefore, inhibition of GSK-3 is able to increase β-catenin in nucleus and would be able to induce growth of hair. Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug used for decades and is known to inhibit the GSK-3β. However, the effect of VPA on hairs has not been studied yet.

Conditions

• Androgenetic Alopecia
• Male Pattern Baldness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Valproic Acid	spray 7.2% of sodium valproate on scalp twice a day (morning and evening) for 24 weeks
DRUG	Control placebo	spray vehicle without sodium valproate on scalp twice a day (morning and evening) for 24 weeks

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-09-01
• Primary completion: 2012-05-01
• Completion: 2012-06-01
• First posted: 2012-03-08
• Last updated: 2012-10-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: South Korea