A recent study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy and tolerability of an oral supplement containing hydrolyzed collagen and amino acids in combination with drug treatments in patients experiencing hair loss due to conditions such as androgenic alopecia (AGA/FAGA) or telogen effluvium (TE).
The randomized, assessor-blinded controlled trial evaluated 83 subjects from May to November 2022 at six different study centers. Fifty-nine subjects suffered from AGA/FAGA and 24 from chronic TE.
Participants were randomly assigned into one of two treatment groups. One group received an oral supplementation in the form of a once-daily tablet in combination with a specific drug treatment determined by the investigator according to their type of hair loss. The other group was assigned to specific drug treatment only. A total of 76 participants completed the entire study.
The specific drug treatments utilized in the study included topical minoxidil 2%, topical minoxidil 5%, unspecified treatments, oral minoxidil, topical finasteride 2%, and oral finasteride.
The primary efficacy endpoint was an improvement in the global assessment score (GAS) which was determined by a panel of dermatologists using standardized global photographs. Secondary endpoints looked at global clinical efficacy, tolerability, and acceptability.
At week six, researchers found that only the group receiving both the standard treatment along with the oral supplement reported a GAS improvement. At week 12, both groups demonstrated improvement. A total of 85.4% of patients receiving the combination treatment achieved GAS improvement. For those receiving only the standard treatment, this was reported as 48.6%. Additionally, patients receiving the combination treatment also reported higher global clinical efficacy and tolerability.
The study concluded that “An oral supplement containing hydrolyzed fish-origin collagen, taurine, cysteine, methionine, iron, and selenium has demonstrated to improve the clinical efficacy of specific anti-hair loss treatments in subjects with AGA/FAGA or chronic TE.”
