EU studies two anti-hair loss drugs due to suicide risk

The European Medicines Agency has placed two drugs, one used against alopecia and the other against benign prostate disease, under scrutiny because of their potential to promote suicide. The EMA believes that both products may contribute to both the generation and implementation of suicidal ideation, but nothing is clear at this time. Medical specialists consulted by EL CORREO insist that this is a suspicion and that at the moment there is no conclusive evidence, only “just a study” awaiting the results.

The medical device safety community is particularly concerned about certain products containing finasteride and dutasteride. In the case of the first of them, both tablets containing one gram of this substance and a pharmacological solution intended for application to the skin are used to treat the first stages of androgenetic alopecia in men aged 18 to 41 years.

The only effective thing

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss. It mainly affects men, but with the entry of women into the workforce, it is becoming more common among them due to stress and increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Dermatologists at the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology chose to remain aloof from this debate, but traditionally defend the position that “the only known effective remedy against baldness is castration” and, in any case, hair transplantation. Alopecia, a problem primarily of hormonal origin, is not a problem of eunuchs.

The reason for this strong argument is that baldness, as they explain, is a hormonal issue. When they begin to be lost, hair begins to fall out. The emerging hair inevitably becomes weaker and weaker due to the aging of the follicle itself. The treatments used, although being improved, must be maintained continuously because when they stop, the natural process continues.

Finasteride and dutasteride are drugs that millions of people around the world have taken to treat alopecia and benign prostatic hyperplasia, according to renowned Basque dermatologist Jesus Gardeazábal, former president of the specialty’s last congress held in Euskadi. The investigation, as detailed, must determine whether both thoughts and suicides are actually linked to both drugs, as there may be bias in what experts say is the reporting of cases.

What does it mean? The study is being carried out because it was noticed that there are patients undergoing treatment who have suffered from the extreme situation being studied. But there is no reliable data to determine whether the same thing happens in people not taking the drug. That is, we need to find out whether both drugs are really associated with suicide or whether the victims would be the same if they were not treated with them for alopecia and prostate pathology.

Possible withdrawal

In its note, the EMA said both oral drugs have a known risk of psychiatric side effects, including depression. “Suicidal ideation has recently been added to the product information for Propecia and Proscar as a possible side effect of unknown frequency (…). To minimize risks, measures have already been established for drugs containing “finasteride, including warnings to health care providers to monitor patients for psychiatric symptoms and to discontinue treatment if they occur.”

The package inserts also contain a message for patients: “Consult your doctor if you experience psychiatric symptoms.” The EMA has now committed to deciding whether marketing authorizations should be “maintained, modified, suspended or withdrawn throughout the EU”.