Intercytex discontinues its hair multiplication development operations

[Bill - Seemiller]

Guys,

 

I recently learned that Intercytex, a UK based company and major contendor for developing hair multiplication/cloning is going out of business. While their hoping to sell the remainder of their assets, who if anyone will be continuing their research is unknown at this time.

 

To read more about this, visit "Intercytex discontinues its hair multiplication development operations".

 

Best Regards,

 

Bill

[Maxxy]

Very disappointing, though I'm not at all surprised. The company seemed to have been struggling for a long time and there are only so many set backs potential investors will accept.

[Sparky]

I wouldnt be too concerned about this, whichever company cracks this problem is going to make billions, so rest assured there will be plenty of people working on it.

[captaincaveman]

I dunno if this is common knowledge or not but a company called Aderans research institute is doing basically the same work as intercytex, i think they even had some sort of information sharing deal with them. Just thought i would share considering the title of the thread.

[Sparky]

Thanks for the info.

[lost my swagger]

. Just thought i would share considering the title of the thread.

 

 

for real.. the title is a bit dramatic huh..... look the bottom line is once a viable treatment hits via stem cell, cellular matrix, WHATEVER then this forum becomes FAR less needed and in a short time will be obsolete....

 

while i like spending so much time with you boys and girls this is a dream i hope is realized in the next few years...... because if anyone is REALLY honest with themselves then they know that hair transplants are a flawed procedure, not capable of giving a decent portion of their patients fulfilling results..

 

anyone who wants even decent density had better have amazing characteristics or minimal loss and pray it stays that way by doing what??? thats right they must pop a daily pill that unnaturally alters their body chemistry and hormones.. all while possessing potential unforseen future ramifications...

 

i pray we all see the day that online hair loss forums die at the hands of a real treatment or procedure.. for 90% of us it will be the ONLY way our hairloss stops being an issue if you ask me

[Bill - Seemiller]

Don't worry Swagger,

 

There will always be a place for you to spout off your negativity and critique whatever new treatment becomes available.

 

Frankly, open forums and social communities that enable patients to research, share, and discuss their real experiences are here to stay. You act like this is a bad thing. While I'm confident in the long and healthy life of the free speech, education, and support this community offers hair loss sufferers, how long you will be around on the forums may be another another story.

 

Bill

[TC17]

Histogen is still around too.

 

http://www.histogen.com/aboutus/news_events.htm

[splitting hairs]

There was a lot of publicity here in the UK last year about scientists creating sperm cells from human skin cells.

 

I think that this shows that it will be possible to develop hair follicles (or any cells) and that it will definately be possible in the future.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Guys,

 

The title of the thread was designed to garner interest and promote discussion. If you read the full article I linked to above on our Hair Loss Q&A Blog site, I mention that Intercytex is a major contendor in, but not the only one developing hair multiplication. I am thankful that Aderans Research Institute is also performing clinical studies on this.

 

Hair cloning provides balding men and women with the dream of a cure for their baldness. But there will always be free internet forums like this for hair loss sufferers to discuss, share, and research the best treatments and doctors performing even this procedure if and when it becomes a reality.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[thanatopsis_awry]

I would agree with everyone else that this is basically a vagary in the process of innovation; the science is still (relatively) solid, and the prospects for $ are enormous. It will happen.

 

Nonetheless, I still feel a fine-tuning BHT is the next "great" advance for us, which would effectively augment our donors in a way that touches upon the oasis that Swagger feels is necessary to get a good turnaround.

 

Which I somewhat disagree with. HT's aren't a true cure, or a panacea, and as such it will be inherently flawed. But this does not negate the tremendous good that they can do, and that they do in fact do for countless people.

 

It's just not true that HTs don't give adequate density, and that HM is some necessity for a HT to be a fitting solution. HM will give absolute density, and do it unequivocally for anyone with the resource and will, but there still exists a large segment of people for whom HM is *not* a necessity, or a dire need.

 

The evidence is written on the (forum), and what not.

 

The best thing about HM, IMO, is that we can abandon fin, which I'd love to get off of. Even then, for a majority of people fin not only responds as it should, but with zero perceived side effects.

[lost my swagger]

There will always be a place for you to spout off your negativity and critique whatever new treatment becomes available.

It's just not true that HTs don't give adequate density, and that HM is some necessity for a HT to be a fitting solution. HM will give absolute density, and do it unequivocally for anyone with the resource and will, but there still exists a large segment of people for whom HM is *not* a necessity, or a dire need.

 

its true that MY HT didnt give me good density..

 

its true that Aaron1234's HT didnt give him good density

 

 

its true that 'john malloys' HT didnt give him good density

 

its truth that TTP's HT didnt

 

even the emperor's hairline in notably thin

 

its also true that the ONLY way to remedy this ever existing problem with HTs is to undergo ANOTHER procedure, all while burning up MORE donor and all while we continue to lose more hair. even for many who DID recieve good density did so at high cost of using a alot of donor. those people will have less options and coverage available for the rest of their heads as the continue to bald..

 

also thana.. u say there are a large segment of people whom HM is not a "dire need"... i find this a bit funny since HAIRLOSS IS PROGRESSIVE IN ALMOST ALL CASES.....so thana, how many of these guys who arent in "dire need" of the luxury HM would provide WILL need it a WHOLE LOT MORE DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THEY LOSE HAIR AND ARE LEFT WITH A THINNING TRANSPLANT UP FRONT AND ever minaturizing hairs on the rest or their heads.. were NOT talking about dudes with 'mature hairlines' here thana were talking about guys who have MPB and are GOING BALD.

 

i feel this is a valid question since you are the perfect example of someone who will in time not have your crown or midscalp.. your young thana like me..i know you think about this. now tell the people why this procedure is still worth the YEARS of trouble, and the years of maintenance, the potential risks, and the for sure scarring. they listen to you

 

HM is the only hope i have.. any future HTs i have from this point forward SERVE ONE PURPOSE ONLY at this stage... and thats to keep me from looking like a FREAK with a thin patch of hair growing unnaturally in my front third throughout my 30's 40's and 50's. or a freak with a stretched ear to ear jagged scar and minimal pitting in the hairline when shaved down... either way i put myself in a situation where im forced to have more work done, just like the MAJORITY of HT patients.. and thats the reality of it

 

 

Bill--for the maybe 20,000 time now you have labled me negative during my time here.. while i respect your position i know something that you obviously dont... and thats that im an unbelievable human being.. every day i do good for this world and other people, whether its here or not.. every day i care about other humans. every day i have the goal to impact people lives for the better, and im not simply talking about HERE as this forum is nothing but a TINY portion of my worth..

 

unlike many of my religious folk out there, i dont live this way because i desire some type of REWARD from god when i die..nope, i could care less about where i go when i die, ill cross that bridge when i get there... I care about others BECAUSE I CHOOSE TO LIVE THIS WAY. because it feels correct at my core to care about MORE than just me... so when i come to this place and speak up what MANY OTHERS FEEL AND KNOW about hair transplants and i am constantly, time and time again labled as a NEGATIVE person by the moderator simply because i dont believe in the procedure he promotes it makes one wonder what the problem REALLY is. i have alot of character, and thats not something a modorators mis guided belief of me can alter.

[Blake Bloxham]

Swagger,

Unfortunately, I don't personally foresee a huge stem cell break through with regards to hair loss anytime soon.

[Maxxy]

Future_HT_Doc,

 

What're your views on Histogen (who have already released what seems to be impressive photographic evidence and statements suggesting that the treatment could be available to the public as early as 2012)?

[Rachmunas4life]

I wonder if and when hair cloning will be offered as a hair loss option, who will be performing those surgeries? Surgeons or someone else?

[thanatopsis_awry]

Swagger, I do not deny that your HT did not give you good density, nor the HTs of *many* people. Truly, I do not. Moreover, in the very threads of the people whom you cited (TTP, Aaron, John, e.g.) I went out of my way to speak plainly in agreement with their issues, looking at their situations objectively; I even *outright* caution a couple *before* their operations, in their old pre-op threads.

 

But I still stand by that HM is not a "dire need" for many. This means, of course, that the people in question must have the resource and will for *multiple* procedurs -- but is this not something that is discussed prior to their HTs, and something they are consented upon?

 

You seem to greatly discount the fact that while MPB is indeed progressive, so is the ability for people to combat it with multiple HTs. NicNitro, Bobman, Bill, Jotronic, LondonLad, and countless others have done just that. I myself will be amongst this list as I too need a subsequent HT.

 

I undestand that HM *is* a dire need for many. I don't deny this, nor do I look to undermine the marvelous benefit it would have for untold numbers of people. Including myself.

 

A bad HT is about the worst thing that can happen to a man, particularly a young guy; and so I nonetheless understand where your vigilence is coming from, even though in and of itself I simply don't feel it's always accurate in light of the very real options a lot of guys have.

 

Re: me. Honestly, I'v lost my midscalp since my HT, and it has wrecked havoc even on my hairline's perceived density. It's caused me a good deal of grief, and it's extremely annoying. But:

 

Would I still go back and get a HT? Yes. I'm better off for it, despite the fact that I STILL battle MPB to this day...but the HT -- and the subsequent HTs I will get -- have let me battle MPB better than I could have without.

 

To be frank, I wish I was as informed now as I was when I got my HT; and it is my express desire to have every guy who gets a HT be as informed as I would want myself to be.

 

HM is the holy grain, there's no doubt about it. I simply feel for many the route of HTs as it stands can yield fully satisfactory results. I honestly believe myself to be in this category as I embark upon my 2nd HT, and I know it is true for many others.

[youngsuccess]

LMS,

 

I don't know you personally, but I think this may be the problem: Staunch ideological crusading, boycotting, etc, are often perceived as negative tactics because they're usually intended to be punitive rather than constructive, and in many people's opinions, antithetical to the idea of a free society/community. On a hair transplant forum, it sends the message, "There are risks associated with this procedure, so let's destroy its credibility, or even try to hurt the industry financially."

 

If everyone who has ever considered looking into hair transplantation suddenly retracted their interest out of fear, there would be no future, no progress made, period. The way to promote advancement in the field is to support the doctors and hair loss communities, not condemn them. I say this as a repair patient.

[Maxxy]

I wonder if and when hair cloning will be offered as a hair loss option, who will be performing those surgeries? Surgeons or someone else?

 

I guess it depends on how it's done. I could be misunderstanding this, but Intercytex had problems regarding growth in their initial trials and started looking at growing follicles in vitro which would then need to transplanted.

 

Aderans' technique is trying to produce more donor, so in both of those approaches a transplant surgeon would still be required. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[Rachmunas4life]

If it doesn't require a surgeon the HT surgical field will be ???

[Bill - Seemiller]

Maxxy is right. The latest research has shown hair multiplication to be unpredictable. It's suggested that the key to success may lie in growing stem cells in vitro to a hair follicle stage and then transplanting the hair follicles using today's state of the art surgical hair restoration techniques. While more research is needed, if this is the avenue cloning ultimately goes, experienced and skilled hair transplant physicians will be needed to deliver the best results. This includes proper and careful handling of the grafts, strategic placement of the grafts, making tiny recipient incisions to minimize trauma to the scalp, etc.

 

At this time, which direction hair multiplication will go is unknown. While I hope it eventually becomes a reality, I think we have several more years before we know anything for sure.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[hair_me_out]

Can someone post a link to Swagger's HT results? I'm curious.

[HairHope]

Very few of us here have actual clinical research experience (ie., drug development), it is extremely rigourous to get thru Phase I, II, III clinical trials...For a REASON!!! Demonstration of Safety and Efficacy must be both clinical and statistical, that is why I really have a very difficult time with docs charging the study subject for treatments which have at best in vitro or anectdotal evidence (e.g., PRP).

 

HM needs another 10-15 years of development and probably an infusion of over a billion dollars or more of investment money before it has a chance of reaching the market.

 

I did not say the Study Subject pays the BILLION dollars, that is the risk of the investor.

[Blake Bloxham]

Originally posted by Maxxy:

Future_HT_Doc,

 

What're your views on Histogen (who have already released what seems to be impressive photographic evidence and statements suggesting that the treatment could be available to the public as early as 2012)?

 

Hi Maxxy,

Let me preface any statement by saying that I am FAR from an expert on stem cells, et al. However, I majored in Evolutionary Biology in undergrad, and did have to take quite a few classes dealing with embryology and even worked in a few labs studying relevant cellular mechanisms. So, I'm not without knowledge on the subject, but if I say incorrect things or have some lack in knowledge, I will defer to people who know more. I don't really want to get into it too much, so I'll focus on what Histogen is doing (by the way, their projected date is now 2015):

 

1. The first, biggest problem I see is cost. Making this HSC syrum (which to me, seems like it's essentially just a ton of signaling proteins that cause different germ tissue stimulation in a LOT of different ways in embryos)is going to be highly regulated, costly, and probably take a while. The company isn't going to eat this cost ... the consumer is. It isn't like a finasteride pill.

 

2. Honestly, I took a course one time that was strict, hardcore embryology with a Professor who was arguably the brightest in the field. We spent so much time detailing every single way that signaling molecules (such as WNT proteins) activate processes in embryos, and how very specific types of signaling molecules in very specific amounts were needed to make sure things were induced, cycled, etc, properly. We also spent a lot of time studying the pathology/analyzing the results of when these processes went wrong (ie birth defects). It's amazing how inappropriate amount of these molecules can cause big, big harm, and I'd personally be reluctant to inject what seem to be randomly assigned, and improperly studied amounts of this into my body. I also do not think, if these injections circulate whatsoever, this procedure could be done on a fertile female. I'm not sure the side effects have really been studied here. Unknown growth patterns and stimulating incorrect cellular development doesn't sound good to me, especially when, in what the molecules are naturally used for, the processes are so complex, outcomes can be so severe, and frankly, the research is still ongoing about exactly how all these mechanisms work in embryos.

 

3. Another mystery to me, is whether or not these new follicles will be DHT resistant? If the new follicles, unlike those harvested from the occipital area, are not resistant to androgenetic alopecia, then what is the point? The expensive new follicles will still be subject to miniaturization and loss from DHT, and you'll be worse off than a transplant/still on finasteride/minoxidil to prevent loss.

 

4. I assume the results you are talking about are listed here: http://www.histogen.com/aboutus/news_events.htm#22

 

Let me first say that it is promising that they are seeing growth! However, I think it's difficult to gauge how well this would work on a large scale (ie something that needs a mega session), and unless I am reading the results wrong, the 3 month mark showed a decrease in native hair + a thinning of the hair follicle? This, to me, indicates that the cocktail in the HSC isn't specific enough, and could be causing some secondary reaction, which like I said, is my biggest fear.

 

5. Stem cell research/regenerative medicine is one of the biggest 'great white hopes' in science right now. Some of the greatest minds in the world are working on it, and we WILL figure it out eventually. However, I don't think the break through will come from Histogen. I think someone working on using/cultivating the stem cells for something else will implement them in a big way (ie cancer, MS - with more general pluripotent mechanisms), and from there, things like using them for hair loss will follow. I personally see Histogen, not that there is anything wrong with this, as a biotech company with an eye towards profit, not a strict research facility, which is where I think the big changes/ideas will come from.

 

Again, it is NOT my intent to belittle or insult Histogen, I really have no agenda here, and I do apologize if I am off in any of these assessments ... anyone can correct my statements at anytime. Just my two cents though ...

[Blake Bloxham]

Oh and one more thing ... I think obtaining FDA approval will be a nightmare (if this is a route they are trying to take).

[Maxxy]

Hey Future_HT_Doc,

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your views in detail.

 

I didn't notice the part regarding a decrease in native hair though. I don't find that surprising as I'm assuming the tests were being carried out on balding men.

 

 

(by the way, their projected date is now 2015)

 

The last I read (which was a recent statement), mentioned 2012 for Asia and I believe 2015 for the US as possible dates.