PP405
PP405 is in Phase 2 for androgenetic alopecia, developed by Pelage Pharmaceuticals.
A topical that tries to wake dormant follicles by changing how their stem cells burn fuel.
- Developed by
- Pelage Pharmaceuticals
- Current phase
- Phase 2
- Mechanism
- Metabolic / mitochondrial
- Indications
- Androgenetic alopecia, Female pattern hair loss
- Also known as
- PP-405
- Last public activity
- October 2026
- Copy last reviewed
- September 2026
- Record confidence
- High
Tests whether it works, at what dose, in a few hundred people.
Changes the follicle's energy metabolism to push resting follicles back into growth.
A research record, not medical advice: being listed here says nothing about whether a treatment works or whether it is right for you. Talk to a dermatologist about your own case.
How it is meant to work
PP405 inhibits the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC). Blocking it pushes hair follicle stem cells toward glycolysis, a metabolic state associated with the active growth phase. The claim is that this reactivates follicles that have gone dormant, rather than merely extending the growth phase of follicles still working — which is what minoxidil and finasteride do.
Why it matters
The most-watched programme in the field, for two reasons. In the Phase 2a, 78 men and women dosed once daily for four weeks and followed to twelve, the company reported that among men with a higher degree of hair loss, 31% on PP405 showed a greater than 20% increase in hair density at week eight against none on placebo; read that with the caveats it deserves: a subgroup of undisclosed size, a trial whose primary endpoint was safety, and registry results that list no efficacy outcome. Then, in October 2025, a $120M Series B co-led by ARCH Venture Partners and GV, capital on a scale rare in hair loss. A 600-man Phase 2/3 is registered to start in September 2026 with primary completion in December 2027, so availability is years out, not months.
Development history
- Phase 2
First Phase 2 trial on record: NCT06393452 — Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy of PP405 in Adults With AGA
ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Registered trials
Pulled automatically from ClinicalTrials.gov. Matching is by name and development code, so occasional gaps are possible — tell us if you spot one.
Phase 2/3 Efficacy and Safety of PP405 in Adult Males
Pelage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. · n=600 · September 2026
Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy of PP405 in Adults With AGA
Pelage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. · n=78 · June 2024
Listing a trial is not a recommendation to join one. Eligibility, risks and costs vary enormously — discuss any trial with your own doctor first.
Sources
- Phase 2/3 Efficacy and Safety of PP405 in Adult Males — ClinicalTrials.gov
- $120 million Series B financing, co-led by ARCH Venture Partners and GV — Company release, October 2025
- Positive Phase 2a clinical trial results for PP405 — Company release, June 2025
- Pelage presents late-breaking data at AAD 2024: PP405, a topical mitochondrial pyruvate carrier inhibitor, activates human hair follicle stem cells — Company release, March 2024
Related programmes
Other programmes in the register with the same mechanism: Metabolic / mitochondrial.
Cite this page
Hair Pipeline, "PP405 — development record", hairpipeline.com/pipeline/pp405