Dug up some old 1999 BBC reports on Propecia when it was just being introduced in the UK.
[Size=4]Baldness ‘cure’ by-passes NHS[/size]
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/484569.stm
A drugs firm has asked for its anti-baldness pill not to be made available on the NHS.
But this has prompted complaints from campaigners who say that the state should be paying for such treatments.
Propecia, which claims to cure male baldness, receives its British licence on Monday and can now be sold at £25 per month of supplies.
But its makers, Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) have delayed the launch and told the Department of Health that it should need not be dispensed free by the NHS.
This is widely seen as a move to make sure that GPs can prescribe it privately to their own patients.
Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS managers, said: “This is a very shrewd move by the company - they have realised this is a lifestyle drug, and it’s unlikely that the company would be allowed to prescribe it on the NHS.”
The charity Hairline International, however, says that baldness “ruins lives”.
Director Elizabeth Steele said: "We believe that medical treatments for baldness should be available on the NHS.
“Baldness can destroy marriages and wreck careers.”
Dr Ian Banks, a specialist in men’s health issues, said it was a “shame” that the drug would not be available to poorer patients.
MSD will not put the pills on sale in Britain until at least the new year.
In clinical trials of more than 2,000 men in the United States, 86% who took the tablet once a day were reported to have maintained their hair levels or grown more hair after a year.
‘Responsible approach’
Propecia is said to be used by 800,000 men in 38 countries.
It does not claim to cure hair loss caused by alopecia or chemotherapy.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "Merck, Sharp and Dohme, the manufacturers, have asked that Propecia not be made available on the NHS.
"They don’t believe that the health care system should be funding this product.
[b]"The Department of Health welcomes MSD’s responsible approach.
“The department will not be taking action, so this product will not be available on the NHS.” [/b]
[Size=4]‘Men should pay for baldness drug’[/size]
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/599264.stm
A treatment for baldness should not be available on NHS prescription, the government has proposed.
Propecia has been shown to help the majority of men with so-called “male pattern balding” - the gradual thinning and disappearance of hair over the years.
However, the Department of Health estimated that supplying the drug to every man in the country who might want it would cost the NHS in the region of £32m a year.
It is set to rule that men suffering from male pattern baldness should have to pay for the drug through a private prescription.
Propecia is the second “lifestyle drug”, after Viagra, to be restricted by the Department of Health.
Support groups for men with hair loss say that the issue, just like impotence, is a source of psychological trauma to men and should be taken more seriously.
Elizabeth Steel, founder and director of Hairline International, said: "It has been found that 70% of people with alopecia are prone to serious depression.
“And 40% reported that their doctors were either dismissive or unsympathetic.”
No case for funding
And although Hairline International has previously said that baldness treatments should be available on the NHS, she conceded that it would be hard to make a case for funding of Propecia while drugs for more serious conditions like multiple sclerosis were restricted in some parts of the country.
Even the drug’s makers, pharmaceutical giant Merck Sharp and Dohme, said that it thought the drug was inappropriate for NHS prescribing.
A spokesman said: “We have expressed our preference for Propecia to be made available on private prescription only.”
The government proposals are the subject of a consultation exercise ending next month.
Propecia, which is available in tablet form, works by blocking the way the body gets rid of the sex hormone, testosterone.
By making the hormone stay in the body longer, it prevents further hair loss, and may encourage the growth of new hair.
However, it works only on male pattern baldness, and not on other causes of hair loss - and does not work on women who are losing their hair.
The Department of Health estimated that it would cost the NHS approximately £275 per person per year.
It is believed that 30% of men aged 18 and over could conceivably be helped by Propecia treatment.
[Size=4]UK launch for baldness pill[/size]
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1848749.stm
A pill to treat baldness will be made available for the first time in the UK on Monday.
Propecia, manufactured by Merck, Sharp & Dohme, is already available in 40 countries.
However, it will only be made available in the UK on private prescription after the government decided the treatment would not be funded by the NHS.
Propecia is designed to treat male pattern baldness - the most common form of baldness where the hair recedes on either side of the head.
The Department of Health estimates that up to six and a half million men in the UK are affected by male pattern baldness.
Otherwise known as alopecia androgenetica, it is linked to the male sex hormone testosterone.
This is broken down by the body into another compound called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT plays a crucial role in the development of the male foetus.
However, it also damages the hair follicles and causes the hair to thin dramatically in later life, leading to baldness in those men who are genetically susceptible.
The propecia pill works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT.
Tests
In clinical trials five out of six men (83%) did not lose any more hair whilst taking the drug - and some men actually reported improved scalp hair growth.
Three to six months treatment are required for effects to be visible. The cost is between £30 and £35 a month.
The side effects of the drug can include a loss of sex drive - but the effect is usually mild, and reversible.
Mrs Marilyn Sherlock, Chairman of the Institute of Trichologists, said: "Surgical treatments are a useful approach if the patient has lost a lot of hair and they have a good donor site.
"For younger people, who are only just starting to lose their hair, surgery is not a viable option.
“Propecia, being a pill, is less cosmetic than topical applications, which may make it more appealing to some people.”
Anguish
Research from the University of Wales in Cardiff found that baldness caused at least as much suffering in men as a serious skin condition such as psoriasis.
A recent survey found that 39% of men interviewed were anxious about hair loss.
Young adults (aged 18-24) fear going bald twice as much as older men and more than putting on weight and going grey.
Elizabeth Steel, founder of the support group Hairline International, welcomed the launch of propecia, and said many men would be pleased to have the chance to use it.
"When I first launched Hairline it was for women who had lost their hair, but I was amazed at the response I got from men.
"Baldness caused them far more suffering than I had ever imagined.
“Baldness does not hurt physically, but it does cause so much suffering across the board: people lose confidence, marriages break down, careers are ruined and it can lead to suicide attempts.”
Propecia is the second anti-baldness treatment to be launched in the UK in recent years, following minoxidil, a lotion rubbed on to the head.