Clinical Study of DA-020 for the Treatment of Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia

Chemotherapy induced alopecia (CIA) is a common adverse event of oncological treatment. The significant psychological burden of CIA, particularly in women, leads some (~8%) to reject life saving therapeutic regimens. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of scalp vasoconstriction as a prophylactic treatment for CIA. Recently, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a scalp-cooling device as a prophylactic treatment for CIA. Scalp cooling results in reduced local blood perfusion and consequently reduced chemotherapeutic agents reaching the hair follicle niche; however, scalp cooling requires prolongation of the time required to attend the chemotherapy unit (>2 hrs) as well as common adverse events including intolerance to cold. A previous study demonstrated that the α1 agonist, phenylephrine hydrochloride, applied topically can penetrate the scalp and bind α1 receptors. As such, a topically applied α1 agonist would reduce scalp blood perfusion. A novel formula (DA-020), containing an α1 agonist, that can also penetrate the scalp and bind α1 receptors. The aim of the study is to test the hypothesis that DA-020 can reduce scalp blood perfusion and thus reduce hair loss due to chemotherapy.