By approach
Hair research is not one field — it is a set of distinct bets on what makes a follicle die. Each page lists everything the register holds for one approach.
- JAK inhibitorsJAK inhibitors for alopecia areata · baricitinib for hair loss · ritlecitinibDrugs that block Janus kinase enzymes, interrupting the inflammatory signalling through which the immune system attacks the follicle. They are the first systemic treatments ever approved for alopecia areata.
- Topical androgen-receptor blockerstopical anti-androgens · androgen receptor antagonists · pyrilutamide · clascoterone for hair lossProgrammes that block the androgen receptor in the scalp itself, aiming for the effect of the approved hormonal drugs without exposing the whole body to them.
- 5-alpha-reductase inhibitorsDHT blockers · topical finasteride · dutasteride for hair lossDrugs that lower dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that miniaturises follicles in pattern hair loss. Oral finasteride has been approved for it since 1997; dutasteride is approved for it in several Asian markets.
- Cell therapyhair cloning · stem cell hair treatment · follicle regenerationProgrammes that take cells — usually from a patient's own follicles — multiply them outside the body, and return them to the scalp in the hope of restoring or creating follicles.