Trial reportJournal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV2022
Efficacy and safety of topical finasteride spray solution for male androgenetic alopecia: a phase III, randomized, controlled clinical trial.
Trial report in Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 58 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 149 citations in OpenAlex.
- Beyond Minoxidil: Off-Label Therapies for Male Androgenetic Alopecia-A Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analyses.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Pooled it
- Sexual dysfunction associated with 5α-reductase inhibitors in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Pathophysiology, conventional treatments, and evidence-based herbal remedies of hair loss with a systematic review of controlled clinical trials.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Relative Efficacy of Conventional Monotherapies and Select Nonconventional, Over-the-Counter Products for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Network Meta-Analysis Study.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative Efficacy of Minoxidil and 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors Monotherapy for Male Pattern Hair Loss: Network Meta-Analysis Study of Current Empirical Evidence.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Pooled it
- Comparing minoxidil-finasteride mixed solution with minoxidil solution alone for male androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of topical finasteride spray solution in the treatment of Chinese men with androgenetic alopecia: A phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Chinese medical journal · 2026Trial
- Randomized controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of topical 0.1% finasteride - 5% Minoxidil in male androgenetic alopecia.Archives of dermatological research · 2025Trial
- Oral and Topical Administration of a Standardized Saw Palmetto Oil Reduces Hair Fall and Improves the Hair Growth in Androgenetic Alopecia Subjects - A 16-Week Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2023Trial
- Effectiveness and Safety of Topical Finasteride for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: Real World Data.International journal of dermatology · 2026Observational
- Steroid 5α-reductases in the brain: From neurosteroidogenesis to therapeutic implications.Frontiers in neuroendocrinology · 2026Review
- Combination Therapy in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Network Meta-Analysis of Minoxidil and Other Pharmacological Agents.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Review
- Targeting Endogenous Wnt Antagonists for Therapy Development in AGA: a Focus on DKKs and sFRPs.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2026Review
- Factors Associated with the Severity of Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Retrospective Study.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Characterization and Management of Androgenetic Alopecia in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals: A Narrative Review.Dermatology and therapy · 2026Review
- Rutin Stabilises β-Catenin Through GSK3β Inhibition to Promote Hair Follicle Regeneration.Cell proliferation · 2026Article
- Beyond the Follicle: A Narrative Review on How Systemic Diseases and Drugs Affect Alopecia.Pharmaceutical medicine · 2026Review
- 5α-Reductase Isoenzymes: From Neurosteroid Biosynthesis to Neuropsychiatric Outcomes.NeuroSci · 2026Review
- Patient Satisfaction, Side Effects, and Other Reactions Reported by Adult Men Prescribed Compounded Topical Finasteride via a National Telehealth Platform: Retrospective Analysis of Real-World Data.JMIR dermatology · 2026Article
- Is the Safety of Finasteride Correlated With Its Route of Administration: Topical Versus Oral? A Pharmacovigilance Study With Data From the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System.International journal of dermatology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedCorrigendum.2023
Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOral finasteride is a well-established treatment for men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), but long-term therapy is not always acceptable to patients. A topical finasteride formulation has been developed to minimize systemic exposure by acting specifically on hair follicles.
objectivesTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical finasteride compared with placebo, and to analyse systemic exposure and overall benefit compared with oral finasteride.
methodsThis randomized, double-blind, double dummy, parallel-group, 24-week study was conducted in adult male outpatients with AGA at 45 sites in Europe. Efficacy and safety were evaluated. Finasteride, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations were measured.
resultsOf 458 randomized patients, 323 completed the study and 446 were evaluated for safety. Change from baseline in target area hair count (TAHC) at week 24 (primary efficacy endpoint) was significantly greater with topical finasteride than placebo (adjusted mean change 20.2 vs. 6.7 hairs; P < 0.001), and numerically similar between topical and oral finasteride. Statistically significant differences favouring topical finasteride over placebo were observed for change from baseline in TAHC at week 12 and investigator-assessed change from baseline in patient hair growth/loss at week 24. Incidence and type of adverse events, and cause of discontinuation, did not differ meaningfully between topical finasteride and placebo. No serious adverse events were treatment related. As maximum plasma finasteride concentrations were >100 times lower, and reduction from baseline in mean serum DHT concentration was lower (34.5 vs. 55.6%), with topical vs. oral finasteride, there is less likelihood of systemic adverse reactions of a sexual nature related to a decrease in DHT with topical finasteride.
conclusionTopical finasteride significantly improves hair count compared to placebo and is well tolerated. Its effect is similar to that of oral finasteride, but with markedly lower systemic exposure and less impact on serum DHT concentrations.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.