Men’s fitness influencers are raising alarms about finasteride risks

Fitness influencers are followed primarily by younger men who want to be stronger, better-performing, and in some cases more attractive. This brings up the topic of hair and hair loss. In the era of Instagram, body-hacking and online prescribers such as Hims and Keeps, young men’s worries over hair loss might be greater than ever. … Read more

Elements of a drug safety disaster

Over the past 25 years, finasteride harms have spread invisibly, altering lives and giving rise to confusion and disagreement. This post identifies common themes across all these spheres. Many of these have to do with biases, omissions and collusion among industry, physicians and regulators.

Rules of engagement: how sensitive concerns are hidden from drug trials

Alan, a 28-year-old man who experiencing hair loss, is participating in the Propecia clinical trial. Alan brings high hopes that the new drug will stop hair loss. An investigator examines Alan’s scalp and hair, recording figures on a form. She asks Alan if he experienced any side effects. None, he replies. He is then given a form to fill out…

Polls vs. official data on side effect rates

Since online polls are anonymous, there is less risk to disclosing embarrassing side effects. In online polls, the rate of side effects was 6.2x greater than the rate of adverse events in a clinical trial. The clinical setting may suppress safety concerns in sensitive areas such as sexuality and mental state.

From the depths: why finasteride harms took decades to emerge

Physician-researchers blamed growing safety concerns on patients, overlooking social context and weaknesses in safety regime The official view of Propecia, fashioned by Merck at a reported cost of $450 million, is that the drug is safe and effective. Upon approval by FDA in 1997, this view was carried forward by dermatologists, some of whom were … Read more