Finasteride - Generic Propecia

Propecia is a pill taken by mouth that is a fairly new and effective treatment for male baldness. An increase in scalp hair count and hair regrowth was seen in over 80% of men for whom it was prescribed. Numerous studies have been done looking at the efficacy of PROPECIA. Overall improvements were seen as quickly as 3 months after starting the medicine. PROPECIA not only led to a decrease in hair loss but also significantly increased the rate of hair regrowth. These effects were maintained for over 2 years with continued PROPECIA therapy.

Propecia should be stored at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.

This drug is taken by mouth. 1 tablet per day. PROPECIA is the brand name for finasteride, which acts to inhibit the conversion of the androgen (male hormone) testosterone into 5-alpha-dihydrotesterone (DHT). In men each hair follicle contains tiny amounts of DHT. As male pattern baldness begins the amount of DHT contained in each follicle increases. PROPECIA through its inhibitory action serves to reverse this process by decreasing the amount of DHT in the hair follicle and in blood.

In clinical studies adverse reactions were noted to be rare and did not affect most men. The most common adverse reaction was decreased libido that appeared to occur in less then 2.0% of men taking this medicine. The problem quickly resolved in all cases upon the discontinuation of the medication.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as remembered; do not take if it is almost time for the next dose, instead, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not “double-up” the dose to catch up.

A study showed that hair grew in thicker, faster, or both.

PROPECIA grows natural hair, not just “peach fuzz.”

At the end of a 4-year study, there was an increase in the weight of hair samples taken from the men who took PROPECIA compared with hair samples taken from the men who took a placebo (sugar pill).

The effectiveness of PROPECIA was demonstrated in studies of men, aged 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss at the top and middle front of the head. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at the temples.

You may see less hair loss in as little as 3 months.

You will need to take PROPECIA for as long as you want to grow or maintain your hair.

If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.

Available data indicate that the level of PROPECIA in the semen of a man taking PROPECIA does not pose a risk to an unborn child. Accordingly, a man can take PROPECIA while conceiving a child with his partner, or have sexual intercourse with his partner if she is already pregnant.

PROPECIA is for the treatment of male pattern hair loss in MEN ONLY and should NOT be used by women or children.

Women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA and should not handle crushed or broken tablets of PROPECIA because the active ingredient may cause abnormalities of a male baby’s sex organs. If a woman who is pregnant comes into contact with the active ingredient in PROPECIA, a doctor should be consulted. PROPECIA tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling, provided that the tablets are not broken or crushed.

In clinical studies for PROPECIA, a small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects, such as less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, or a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men and went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIA because of them.

2 of 3 men on PROPECIA regrew hair, as measured by hair count.

Simply put, all men who took the placebo (sugar pill) lost hair by the end of the 5-year study.

On the other hand, most men (2 of 3) on PROPECIA gained hair at the end of the 5-year study.

By the end of the study, there was an average difference of 277 hairs in a test spot (1-inch circle on top of head) between men who took PROPECIA and men who took placebo.

Throughout the 5-year study, the difference between the 2 groups increased. The maximum increase in hair count with PROPECIA occurred in the first 2 years of the study.

A 5-year clinical study demonstrated the effectiveness of PROPECIA.

• 9 of 10 men on PROPECIA had visible results (either regrowth of hair, 48% [134 of 279], or no further hair loss, 42% [117 of 279]) vs 25% (4 of 16) on placebo (sugar pill), according to an assessment of photographs by an independent panel of dermatologists.
• 2 of 3 men who took PROPECIA regrew hair, as measured by hair count. All the men in the study who were not taking PROPECIA lost hair.
• A majority of men who took PROPECIA were rated as improved by doctors—77% (210 of 271) vs 15% (2 of 13) with placebo.
• A majority of men who took PROPECIA reported their bald spot getting smaller, their hair loss slowing down, and the appearance of their hair improving.

What’s more, in the first year of the study, 86% (587 of 679) of men who took PROPECIA maintained hair or increased the number of visible hairs vs 42% (282 of 672) who took placebo.

PROPECIA is for MEN ONLY.

Further treatment is unlikely to help if the drug has not worked within 12 months. If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.

Five years of clinical data with PROPECIA show the sooner you start, the better.

If you have MPHL, the sooner you get started on PROPECIA, the more hair you may have later. In fact, in the longest reported controlled study of male pattern hair loss ever conducted, men who were treated with a placebo (sugar pill) and then switched to PROPECIA 1 year later never caught up to the men who took PROPECIA for the full 5 years.

If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.

In the first year of the study, 86% (584 of 679) of the men on PROPECIA maintained hair or increased the number of visible hairs vs 42% (282 of 672) of the men on placebo.

PROPECIA is the first and only FDA-approved pill used for the treatment of male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area (middle front of head). There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at the temples. PROPECIA is for use by MEN ONLY and should NOT be used by women or children.

In clinical studies for PROPECIA, a small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects, such as less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, or a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men and went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIA because of them.

Good for you! You’ve already taken a positive step to fight your male pattern hair loss.

A few points to keep in mind:

• Remembering to take your pill each day is important.
• PROPECIA will not work faster or better if you take it more than once a day.
• If you forget to take PROPECIA, do not take an extra tablet. Just take the next tablet as usual.

The promise is simple. Use PROPECIA for 12 months. If you don’t at least maintain the hair you had when you began treatment, we’ll give you a full refund of your purchase price, less any rebates you received.

This program is for new male patients aged 18 or older with male pattern hair loss who continue to use PROPECIA for 12 months.