PureTech affiliate Follica reports 44% improvement in hair-loss study

PureTech Health on Thursday said results from a study into a hair loss treatment developed by its affiliate Follica demonstrated a statistically significant 44% improvement in hair count.

The overall improvement of visible hair count after three months of treatment was 29% compared to baseline, which the FTSE 250-listed company said reflected a clinical benefit across the entire study population.

The company added that the historical benchmark for visible improvement among patients with male pattern baldness set by approved pharmaceuticals sits at 12%.

Follica's current treatment regimen sees patients experience targeted scalp disruption using a hair follicle neogenesis device, before then being administered with a topical on-market drug in order to create and grow new hair follicles.

PureTech's chief scientific officer Joseph Bolen said: "Currently, there are only two approved drugs on the market for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, both of which have only demonstrated a 12% increase of non-vellus hair count over baseline.

"There remains a significant need for safe, effective, non-surgical treatments to grow new hair, and we believe the Follica data demonstrate strong promise as a potential new standard of care for the millions of people hoping to address their androgenetic alopecia."

PureTech Health shares were up by 2.48% at 276.70p at 0942 GMT.