Nextgen, biotech company of Artgen Biotech (MOEX: ABIO), announces the start of preclinical trials of efficiency of a gene therapy drug for androgenetic alopecia therapy.
They intend to expand indications for use of Neovasculgen®, world's first gene therapy drug, the effect of which is based on therapeutic angiogenesis (therapeutic vascular growth). Neovasculgen® is already used in practical healthcare to treat ischemia of lower extremities, is included into the EML list, national recommendations, federal clinical-statistical groups, Moscow OMI programme. As the effect of drug is based on activation of microvessel tree growth, it has a potential to treat a number of diseases, where it is needed to make the vasculature denser, including androgenetic alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of pathologic hair loss. Caucasian men are most subject to androgenetic alopecia. Among them, this disease can be found in 30% by 30 y/a, in 50% – by 50 y/a and approximately in 80% – by 70 y/a. Females suffer androgenetic alopecia not so often. Statistically, less than 5% of females have this disease by 30 y/a, but by 70 y/a this figure achieves 40%.
Androgenetic alopecia is genetic-based process of androgen exchange deficiency characterized by replacement of long pigmented hair with lanugo and leading to changes in composition of scalp.
According to Russian scientists, androgenetic alopecia is the most widespread form of alopecia in our country, other forms are much less frequent, and currently their therapy is almost not developed. Both surgical (the so-called hair transplant) and traditional therapeutic methods are used for therapy of androgenetic alopecia. As androgenetic alopecia is characterized by relative, not absolute androgen excess, hormone therapy is almost inapplicable in this case. But it is well known that vasculature depletion in the follicular region of scalp is crucial in pathogenesis of this disease. That is why vasolidators are most often prescribed in traditional therapy.
Nextgen JSC is a resident of Medtech, Lomonosov cluster of Innovation Science and Technology Center of Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory. The company deals with the development and implementation of gene therapy drug.