Press Release — ISHRS on Sexual Side Effects of Propecia, denies persistent side effects

[Mew]

See below for press release. No surprises here, the ISHRS (International Society Of Hair Restoration Surgery – basically a club for dermatologists) has put out a press release denying the existence of persistent Propecia side effects. Timing is of course suspect due to many pending lawsuits against the maunfacturer.

Many members of the ISHRS, including its past president Edwin Epstein, have been/are involved with Merck in some capacity over the years.

bosleymedicalrichmond.com/physicians.php

“Dr. Epstein has been a practicing hair restoration physician since 1990. He has served on the Board of Governors of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS) since 2004… He has been on the Hair Loss Advisory Board of Merck and Co…”

Many of the ISHRS conferences are sponsored by Merck as well (pg 3): ishrs.org/PDF/ISHRS_19thASM_DetailedPrelim_Program_2011.pdf

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baldingblog.com/2011/12/07/press-release-ishrs-on-sexual-side-effects-of-propecia/

" [Size=4]International Society Of Hair Restoration Surgery Maintains Safety And Efficacy Of Propecia (Finasteride 1mg) For Male Hair Loss Is Backed By Proven Scientific Data
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According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) – the world’s leading medical authority on hair loss and hair restoration – recent anecdotal reports of persistent sexual dysfunction by some men who have used finasteride 1mg (Propecia) to treat hair loss should not define the safety and effectiveness of this drug. Propecia is the only oral medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hair loss in men.

From a scientific standpoint, there are no evidence-based data substantiating the link between finasteride and persistent sexual side effects after discontinued use of the drug in numerous, double blinded, placebo controlled studies conducted evaluating the use of Propecia 1mg for hair loss.

“As one of the 900 physician members of the ISHRS, the health and well being of our patients is our utmost concern – whether prescribing medications like Propecia or performing hair restoration surgery,we have treated hundreds of men suffering from hair loss with finasteride 1mg with virtually no side effects.”

Since receiving FDA approval in December of 1997, 20.5 million and 6.7 million patient-years of exposure using Proscar and Propecia respectively are recorded with a low adverse event profile. The ISHRS believes that these are the most current and reliable data available until further studies are conducted.

Sexual dysfunction is a very complex disorder, and its incidence in the general population is known to be quite high – as high as 49% in middle-aged and older men according to one study published in 2006 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. That being said, we owe it to our patients to address valid concerns in a scientific manner and to clarify any misleading reports so that men can make informed choices regarding the use of this medication.

The ISHRS has called on the medical communities of dermatologists, hair loss physicians, urologists, endocrinologists and sexual medicine specialists to join in a colloquium to share all data and experiences with finasteride in a fact-based manner. "

[mariobros]

I’ve noticed a couple of bullshit studies published lately aswell.

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of finasteride 1 mg in 3177 Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia

…Adverse reactions occurred in 0.7% (23/3177) of men; seven men discontinued treatment based on risk–benefit considerations. No specific safety problems associated with long-term use were observed. This study represents data collected at a single institution. Many patients did not receive follow-up examination. In Japanese men with AGA, oral finasteride used in the long-term study maintained progressive hair regrowth without recognized side-effect.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1346-8138.2011.01378.x/full

Finasteride, 1 mg daily administration on male androgenetic alopecia in different age groups: 10-year follow-up

…Side effects were referred by 6% of the patients; nevertheless, some of them went on with treatment because of the great results. In our opinion, the result after the first year can help in predicting the effectiveness of the treatment. Its efficacy was not reduced as time goes on; in fact, a big proportion of subjects unchanged after 1 year, improved later on, maintaining a positive trend.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1529-8019.2011.01441.x/full