SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stemson Therapeutics and Aderans Company, the parent company of Bosley® and HAIRCLUB®, today announced an agreement securing Stemson the exclusive global rights to research, develop and commercialize hair regeneration therapeutic products based on Aderans’ proprietary hair regeneration cell therapy technology. Stemson, a leader in developing a proprietary cell therapy technology for reversing hair loss based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), gains a complementary technology through this agreement. Stemson will resume Aderans’ Phase 2 clinical stage cell therapy hair regeneration program, integrate the technology into its existing hair loss cell therapy development pipeline, and provide multiple products for patients experiencing hair loss.
Aderans’ proprietary hair regeneration platform is a cell therapy system that utilizes patient-derived hair and skin cells to durably rejuvenate shrinking hair follicles in patients with Androgenetic Alopecia by repopulating functional hair follicle cells into early-to-mid stage hair loss areas. Aderans Co., a Tokyo-based global leader in hair products and services, conducted Phase 2 clinical testing in the United States on 445 human patients to treat early-to-mid stage Androgenetic Alopecia in men and women. Initial clinical data suggest a single dose of functional hair follicle cells into the target scalp area can safely produce long lasting and durable hair growth results. Stemson intends to leverage this technology as it continues development of iPSC-derived autologous cell therapy to regenerate healthy hair follicles. Stemson has successfully created human hair follicles in humanized mice using engineered follicular units which are designed to provide an unlimited source of hair follicle replacements capable of treating a range of hair loss indications.
“The addition of Aderans technology and their Phase 2 clinical stage development program into the Stemson portfolio enables us to expand our pursuit of multiple cell therapy product concepts to address a broad range of hair loss indications,” said Geoff Hamilton, CEO of Stemson Therapeutics. “Aderans’ early pioneering work in cell therapy for hair loss demonstrated to the field the potential for durable long lasting hair regeneration results by restoring functional hair cells and tissue. We are excited to combine their work with our cell and tissue engineering capabilities in the hair regeneration field to create truly breakthrough products for hair loss patients. The synergies between the Aderans technology and Stemson’s in-house technology will help us accelerate timelines across our programs.”
“Our pioneering work at the Aderans Research Institute to develop the first ever cell therapy solution for hair loss showed tremendous promise in clinical trials to treat early stage Androgenetic Alopecia in men and women,” declared Dr. Ken Washenik, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Bosley Medical Group, The World’s Most Experienced Hair Restoration Experts®, and former Chief Executive Officer of Aderans Research Institute. “We believe Stemson, with their advanced expertise in hair follicle cell and tissue engineering, is ideally positioned to successfully complete development and commercialization of this exciting hair regeneration solution.”
“Aderans has been developing solutions for hair loss since our founding in 1968. Our agreement with Stemson positions our hair regeneration cell therapy technology to deliver advanced solutions to serve the global population,” added Yoshihiro Tsumura, Group CEO, Representative Director, and President of Aderans. “We look forward to working with the Stemson team to enable their development efforts and to support the commercialization through our global network of clinics serving hair loss patients.”
An estimated 80 million men, women, and children in the United States experience hair loss, which is often associated with emotional distress leading to reduced quality of life, anxiety, and depression. There are no existing therapeutic solutions capable of rejuvenating shrinking follicles, nor can they generate new hair follicles to replace lost hair.
For updates on Stemson’s progress and advancement, please visit www.stemson.com.
About Stemson Therapeutics
Stemson Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage cell therapy company founded in 2018 with a mission to cure hair loss by leveraging the regenerative power of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stemson uses iPSC to regenerate the critical cells required to grow hair and which are damaged or depleted in patients suffering from hair loss. The iPSC-derived cells are used to grow de novo hair follicles, offering a new supply of hair to treat people suffering from various forms of Alopecia. Today, there are no available treatments capable of growing new hair follicles. Stemson’s world class team of scientists, advisors and collaborators are passionate about delivering a scientifically based, clinically tested cure for hair loss to the millions of hair loss sufferers who seek help for their hair loss condition. Stemson Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.stemson.com.
About Aderans Company
Aderans Company is a leading global provider of total hair solutions. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Tokyo, Aderans has built a global presence across Asia, North America, and Europe to provide a wide range of hair solutions, including hair care products, advanced wig solutions, hair transplantation procedures, and non-surgical hair restoration and hair loss prevention services. Aderans owns well-known brands in North America such as Bosley and HAIRCLUB. Aderans invests in the research and development of advanced solutions for hair care and hair loss, which led them to pioneer innovations in cell therapy to treat hair loss through their Aderans Research Institute subsidiary, including development of a cell therapy product through Phase 2 clinical trials. For more information, please visit www.aderans.co.jp.
