Drug candidates under study for male pattern hair loss: clascoterone and pyrilutamide

What was announced?

Between December 2025 and April 2026, the companies developing clascoterone and pyrilutamide, two drug candidates applied to the scalp for male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), announced phase 3 results. In October 2026, a phase 2/3 study began with a candidate code-named PP405. A phase 3 study of a finasteride spray applied to the scalp was published in a peer-reviewed journal in March 2025.

Clascoterone: two phase 3 studies

Clascoterone is an active ingredient that blocks the androgen receptor (the receptor in cells that male hormones bind to). On 3 December 2025, its developer announced the first results of two phase 3 studies of a solution applied to the scalp. A total of 1,465 men in the US and Europe took part. The comparison group used a placebo, that is, a solution that looks the same but contains no active ingredient. According to the company, both studies found a statistically significant difference (one that is hard to explain by chance) compared with placebo in the main measure, the number of hairs in the target area; side effects were similar to those in the placebo group.

The twelve-month results were announced on 15 April 2026. Some of the men who had responded in the first six months stayed on the medication, while others switched to placebo from the seventh month on. According to the company, the increase in hair count was significantly greater in those who stayed on the medication, and the safety findings were similar to those in the placebo group. The company also said that it planned to apply for approval in the US in early 2027 and that the European application was being prepared.

A cream form of the same active ingredient has been approved in the US since 2020, but only for acne; this approval does not cover hair loss.

Pyrilutamide: the phase 3 stage in China

Pyrilutamide is also an androgen receptor blocker applied to the scalp. On 18 March 2026, its developer announced that the phase 3 stage of a phase 2/3 study in China had met its main goal. The phase 3 analysis of this placebo-controlled study included 666 Chinese men. In an earlier phase 3 study in 2023, however, pyrilutamide had failed to show a significant difference from placebo. The company was reported to be planning to apply to China’s drug regulator; we could not verify that the application has been made.

PP405: a different target

PP405 is another drug candidate, applied to the scalp as a gel. In mid-2025, its developer announced the results of a small phase 2a study in 78 adults in which the gel was applied for four weeks. According to the company, the study met its main goal, which concerned safety; no drug was detected in the blood, and in some men with advanced hair loss the number of thick hairs increased compared with placebo. We have not found these data published in a peer-reviewed journal. On 14 October 2026, it was announced that the first participant had started treatment in a 12-month, placebo-controlled phase 2/3 study in adult men.

Finasteride spray applied to the scalp

Finasteride has long been known as a medication taken by mouth. A phase 3 study of a spray form applied to the scalp, carried out in China with 270 men, was published online in a peer-reviewed medical journal on 17 March 2025. Two thirds of the participants used the spray and one third used a placebo for 24 weeks. At week 24, the increase in the number of hairs in the target area was significantly greater than with placebo; at week 12, the difference was not significant. The researchers reported that the spray was generally safe and well tolerated during the study. We could not verify the spray’s approval status in China.

How are these candidates meant to work?

In male pattern hair loss, hair roots with an inherited sensitivity shrink under the influence of DHT, a hormone derived from testosterone. DHT has this effect by binding to the androgen receptor in the cells of the hair root. We explain this in more detail in our article on male pattern hair loss.

• Clascoterone and pyrilutamide aim to stop the hormone from binding to this receptor.
• Finasteride reduces the conversion of testosterone into DHT.
• PP405, according to the company, is being developed to reawaken dormant stem cells in the hair root.

How strong is the evidence, and what is not known?

Phase 2 studies are usually small and gather the first information on safety and effect; phase 3 studies aim to confirm this in more people. Before a medication can be approved, the drug regulator has to review all the data.

When reading these results, keep in mind:

• A company announcement is not a peer-reviewed publication. We have not found the clascoterone, pyrilutamide or PP405 results published in a peer-reviewed journal; the picture may change once the detailed data are published.
• Relative percentages can be misleading. The clascoterone results were announced as percentages relative to the change in the placebo group. If that change is small, the percentages look very large but do not show how much the hair count actually increased; that is why we do not quote them.
• The time frames are short and the participant groups narrow. For clascoterone, the longest data cover 12 months; for the finasteride spray, 24 weeks. The late-stage studies include only men, and the pyrilutamide and spray studies enrolled Chinese men. These results tell us nothing about effect and safety in women or with use over many years.
• They have not been compared with today’s treatments. Whether they are more effective or safer than existing medications is not known.
• The timeline is uncertain. An application does not mean approval. When and in which country these candidates will be approved, or whether they will be approved at all, is not clear.

What is the situation in Turkey?

We did not find an approval for hair loss granted in any country for clascoterone solution, pyrilutamide or PP405, nor could we find any information that they are licensed in Turkey. At the time of writing, we could not verify the status in Turkey of finasteride sprays applied to the scalp. A study or approval in another country does not mean that a medication is approved or available in Turkey.

Do not use investigational or prescription products on your own, whether you get them online, from abroad or on someone else’s recommendation. You can ask your doctor about the current situation.

What does this mean if you are considering a hair transplant?

This news shows that the research is ongoing. If your hair loss worries you, you can see a doctor or a dermatologist without putting off an assessment and discuss the options available today.

In a hair transplant, roots that are less sensitive to hair loss are moved from the back and sides of the head to the thinning area. This does not stop your hair from thinning in the areas that are not transplanted; that is why, for some people, the doctor may also consider medical treatment alongside the transplant. We have summarized the 2025 safety warnings about finasteride in a separate news article.

• Before your examination, tell the clinic you are contacting about the medications you take and the products you apply to your scalp.
• Make decisions such as starting, stopping or changing a medication together with your doctor.

Whether you are suitable for a hair transplant is determined during the examination, and results vary from person to person. We explain the methods on the hair transplant methods page.