I’ve just found out that Karolinska Institutet (Europe’s leading medical university) are planning a post-finasteride study this spring, and they’re looking for recruits.
Check this link for details (in Swedish):
Can you translate some important details? Are they interested in others than swedish nationals?
Is this a data finding study or an actual lab study? Hoping its a lab study since Sweden already recognizes permenant side effects. I translated some of that post and seems most all us would be eligible under their criteria.
Hi!
It is a lab study, i e they will perform blood/sperm/bone density tests on test subjects, some of whom are already registered with the clinic.
Below, I’ve tried to translate the inclusion criteria and test procedure:
-Male 18-65
-Treated with Finasteride (0,25-5mg/d) >6 months
-Discontinued treatment
-Not diagnosed with endocrine nor psychiatric ailment
-Not currently on medication with primarily endocrine effect
Blood tests: T, DHT, Prolactin, TSH, T4, LH, FSH, Hb, ASAT/ALAT, Creatinine, PSA. Once, fasting, morning.
Semen analysis: Volume, count, motility, plus markers for prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymis. Once.
Bone Mineral Density: measured with DXA.
This is a small ‘pre-study’. All nationalities are eligible but will need to do the testing locally (in Stockholm), and travel expenses internationally are not covered.
For queries or suggestions, the mail address for web recruitment is finaststudy AT gmail.com
I’ve also emailed them. Anyone here in this study yet or heard anything back? If I get in I’m going.
Yeah, i emailed them too several days ago and i’ve yet still to get an answer. Hey, let us know if any of you got an reply.
Me too.
I got a reply today. They just asked me how long I took Finasteride and stated this is a “small study” which “possibly” will be followed by a larger study depending on results and was initated by a medical student.
That sounds promising. Kudos to that unknown medical student who took interest into this. Hopefully they’d loosen the restrictions with the study though.
I am not eligible btw and the reason is that i used the drug for LESS than 6 MONTHS! This blows because i’d really want to get a start on my (endocrine altering, what else you call it really) medication and requirements like these makes it pretty hard to participate into these tests. I wonder why they have such a requirement and if they could remove that restriction, considering how many users crashed with less than 6 months!
oh hey, that restriction must be because the test is open for all finasteride users and not just for us minority. well, hell. won’t get those bone and fertility tests taken then. brings the question about how they are effectively going to prove in the future that this drug can cause changes in the endocrine system when most of PFS patients are on endocrine altering drugs after the finasteride.
Or the requirement to not to be clinically diagnosed depression like on Erwing’s study. A lot of people got into that after the drug or weren’t suffering sexually from depression prior to the drug.
I suspect this study is just damage assessment rather than trying to do any investigation of the problem. Considering they would be doing blood tests, sperm tests and even bone density markers, they go a lot deeper than anything else done so far. Remember there has only been one study so far confirming PFS, it’s still relatively early days, although we all want research to begin yesterday.
I got another email from Patrick. I think the student has to present the small study to faculty/doctors there. If he finds something worth investigating further it would go on to a more comprehensive study. You’d think the student must have a hypothesis he’s working on here. I’d think there would be a decent enough chance there will be a bigger study to follow. Amazing place, so lets hope so.
I’m not receiving updates, is anyone else?
ANYONE ELSE HEARING ANYTHING ABOUT THE SCANDANAVIAN STUDY?!
Apparently, this study was discontinued for unknown reasons.
that is good news. We need to bring together Dr. Irwig and the Karolinska institute. They need to exchange informations. Who could bring them together?
???
Sorry, I just read the first post and was too quick with the “send” button before I realized that the study was not conducted.
Really sad. I guess there are many PFS sufferes who 1) are reluctant to give all the samples (semen, blood etc.) because they are afraid that their intimate data could be revealed and 2) it is too expensive and time-consuming to come to the clinic (especially for foreigners).
Or perhaps there was pressure from big pharma not to have it performed.
Focus, how did you find out “Apparently, this study was discontinued for unknown reasons”?
Totally agree with mew, I think big pharma might have interrupted this. That’s not conspiratorial, just common sense with lawsuits on the horizon.
This is why studies need to be kept under wraps except for trusted participants applying for full details. I’m not blaming Focus as he at least brought it to our attention. Plus, it didn’t seem very well coordinated; more like a grad student’s pet project. I got one response and no further updates despite getting back to him.
I don’t think the hormonal assays would have proved much but the semen/fertility tests likely would. Shame, I would definitely have participated.
Sorry for slow response 
I originally heard of the study (and it’s progress) via a Swedish forum. It was only a proposed medical student project - not a properly funded study. Seems the student ditched the project due to a lack of interest from the responsible institution to get the project on its way. The reason for that is anyone’s guess