|
|
|
Please post
all comments regarding these questions in
Dr. Gho 2002 forum.
We had 80 questions in the 1st draft. Now reduced to 37.
Questions that will be deleted are noted as such next to each
question. |
|
Availability
<back to top> |
| 1 |
Can you give us a
more precise estimate as to when HM will be available ? <Zed> |
| 2 |
Will the first
clinic that open in the Netherlands be accepting foreign patients
? <Interested Observer> |
| DELETE |
Can you give us
another update as to when HM will become available ? When will the
first HM clinic be open ? <Wily Mo> |
| DELETE |
Why was the prediction made for such a short time frame in the original article in Der
Gelderlander and now the time frame is so far out? Originally we were looking at a year from sometime in '98, now it's 2001 and we're talking up to five years for release. What changed? Venture capital infusion? Just curious why the initial time frame that was so out of line was ever issued.
<TK421> |
| DELETE |
Can we have a better understanding of the "within five
years" time frame for HM? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Are you confident that his HM will be introduced to the public in time, or do the technical hurdles stand to jeopardize HM's release? Could we have some
assurance that HM is well on it's way to being introduced to the public within five years?
<WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Why 5 years when its been mentioned that there will be gene therapy drugs hopefully
in four to seven years time. If geneticists are allowing themselves that amount of
time to come up with treatments for hair loss, then at what stage is HM really ?
<WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Can you safely rule out the possibility of HM being available next year, or the year after ?
Why ? <Interested Observer> |
| DELETE |
I cannot impress upon you enough Dr. Gho how many of the people at
HairSite and indeed in society as a whole are devastated by their hair loss. Knowing that a cure to hair loss is only a few years away would give many people new hope. Can you at the very least give us some sense of the odds that hair multiplication will in the next five years be able to restore a full head of hair even in a Norwood 7 in a reasonable period of time and at a reasonable cost? A definite answer to this question would mean a lot to many people as they try in the meantime to cope with their hair loss.
<Interested
Observer> |
| DELETE |
When the procedure
eventually becomes available in the Netherlands, do you envision long waiting lists and back logs of patients, or do you think that your clinics will be able to handle the demand?
<Interested
Observer> |
|
Candidates
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
Will HM only
generate new hairs on completely bald areas ? Does it work on
areas that are just starting to thin or miniaturize ? <by Annes> |
| DELETE |
Will HM be
effective for individuals with medication induced hair loss, eg:
Accutane ? Can we expect the same results as people with male
pattern baldness ? <Stra> |
| 13 |
How do you determine if a patient is a good candidate for HM ? Will there
be a preliminary test to evaluate if a patient is responsive to the treatment ?
Do you test HM on a small area on the patient to see if it works before
you perform something more extensive ? <JeffT> |
| DELETE |
Can HM treat every
patient with male pattern baldness regardless of how extensive his
baldness is ? Can anyone from Norwood 1 to Norwood 7 benefit ?
<Annes> |
| 15 |
Can HM benefit men
and women with diffuse androgenetic alopecia ? <Interested
Observer> |
| DELETE |
If a man or woman does not have sufficient donor hair, can body hair or eyebrows
be used as a substitute ? <Interested
Observer> |
| 17 |
Will the process of extracting hairs and determining their fitness for HM have an problem
with follicles currently active by Propecia or Minoxidil ? In order words, does someone
taking any kind of hair growth agent make identifying DHT resistant hair follicles more difficult ?
<JeffT> |
| DELETE |
Would you advise patients who have used agents like minoxidil or Propecia to continue
using them with HM for any reasons ? <JeffT> |
| DELETE |
Would you advise people to discontinue minoxidil or Propecia for some time before seeking
HM treatment ? <JeffT> |
| DELETE |
What makes an ideal patient vs a poor candidate ?
<JeffT, JL> |
| DELETE |
How long does it take before it is known if a candidate responds to the treatment or not ?
<JeffT> |
| 22 |
Say for someone who is a Norwood 6, how many HM sessions does he
need and how long it would take before he can restore a full head of hair ?
How long does he have to wait between HM sessions ? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Can someone who has been thinning for say 5 years, achieve better looking results and density then someone who has been balding for twenty years?
<Jay> |
|
Competition
<back
to top> |
| 24 |
Are you aware that
Dr. Unger (University of Toronto) has begun human testing with a
protocol similar to HM ? Dr. Unger's focus seems to be on reviving the existing shrunken follicles as opposed to creating new ones. As far as I can tell he is focusing his efforts on injecting DP cells (along with growth factors etc). In contrast, although your patent is not specific, it appears you are injecting ORS cells (along with growth factors etc) in your procedure. Is this correct? If so,
Dr. Jahoda found that ORS cells when cultured from plucked follicles were not as proliferative as ORS cells that were cultured from surgically removed follicles.
Is this true ? Have you overcome this problem by way of your proprietary culture medium and
methods? <James Bond> |
| 25 |
Are you aware of the current "cell therapy"
experiments being researched by physicians such as Dr. Walter Unger (University of Toronto)? What do you think of his research ? Is Dr. Unger doing
essentially the same thing as you are ? Is there a fundamental difference between your
"Hair Multiplication" and his "cell therapy" or are the differences just a matter of the variety
of cells used ? <JTR> |
|
Cost
<back
to top> |
| 26 |
You previously stated that you had no intention of taking
advantage of the situation and making everyone pay an
exorbitant price for the treatment. Exorbitant is a
relative word. Could you give an approximate ceiling to the cost? For a Norwood 7 to regain all his hair, would it cost
him less than $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, etc? <Interested
Observer> |
|
Diffuse
Alopecia
<back
to top> |
| 27 |
Consider a man who is extensively bald with diffuse androgenic alopecia so that he even has very little DHT resistant hair on his sides and back. Can you give him a full head of hair at a reasonable cost and in a reasonable time.
<Interested Observer> |
|
Density
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
Have you
encountered any problems in regards to density ? <by Closure> |
| 29 |
Can we have a density like what we used to have when we were teenagers assuming
we can afford numerous HM procedures ? <Jay> |
| 30 |
What kind of
density can we achieve ? <WBBSG, ProHair> |
|
Financing
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
Have you shown
patient results to ABN-AMRO ? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
What is the current status of your venture capital
arrangement with ABN Amro ? <JTR> |
| DELETE |
Did ABN-Amro provide you with funding specifically for HM, and is it your intention to start up your own chain of HM clinics world wide, or will you be sharing or selling the HM procedure with hair transplant clinics world wide
? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Have your investors asked you not to comment on the final results?
<Interested Observer> |
|
General
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
Last April your
last word to us were that HM is real and that everyone will have
their a fair chance in this procedure. Do you still feel the same
way that HM will become a real treatment for hair loss ? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Are you pleased
with your progress in general ? Do you feel that there are still
too many issues yet to be resolved to make HM a viable procedure ?
<JC> |
| 37 |
Do you expect the
results of HM to be truly undetectable ? Can people detect that
someone has HM done ? <NA> |
| DELETE |
What kind of
progress have you made since the last interview with HairSite ?
<NA> |
| DELETE |
Any particular
advancement or breakthrough in science that can expedite the
introduction of HM to the mass consumers ? <Chris_GA> |
| 40 |
How does a doctor
go about licensing HM procedure from you ? <Annes> |
| DELETE |
Are you still
optimistic about HM's success like you were last April ? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
What are the possibility that within the next five years you will be able to
restore a full head of hair at reasonable cost and within a reasonable time to even
someone with the most extensive hair loss ? <Interested
Observer> |
| 43 |
Have you been able to grow cosmetically acceptable hair on your test subjects ?
<Annes> |
| DELETE |
What quality does HM hair typically have in thickness, length and color compared to
natural scalp hair in the same individual ? <JeffT> |
| DELETE |
Do you currently have any test subjects who are women ?
<JeffT> |
| DELETE |
In the last interview, you referred to other non-HM research you are working on. Would
you care to describe any of the research ? If you cannot go into specific details, could you
give the broad scientific description of the research ? Does it involve hair, skin, stem cells ?
Any specific diseases or disorders ? <JTR> |
| DELETE |
We think the decision of EHRS to defer your membership was probably wrong. We think
that because of the importance and magnitude of your work, you deserve to be a member
of the EHRS. Do you think they will take action on your membership application anytime
soon, and what do you believe the benefits of membership in such an organization would be ?
<JTR> |
| DELETE |
Can you restore a full head of hair for a person who is bald regardless of
time and cost ? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Have you been offered money by a large company or anyone else to put your HM technology on hold for any amount of time
? <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
How does HM differ
from research on hair cloning ? Which one is supposed to be better
or achieve better results ? <JL> |
| DELETE |
A good news vs bad
news scenario. <WBBSG> |
| DELETE |
Please tell us results of
the double-blinded study you applied for in 98/99. <JeffT> |
| DELETE |
You said that their will be a first generation HM, a second
generation HM, and so on, each better than the previous. By saying this, did you mean that the overall cosmetic results of HM can be very much improved, or did you merely mean that HM will overtime become more and more time and cost effective?
<Interested Observer> |
|
Grey
Hair
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
Since you use
plucked anagen hair for the multiplication process, will the
results be compromised if "grey" hair is selected for
the procedure ? If grey hair is an issue, would it be possible to
select hairs that are not turning grey and thus increasing the
length of time before all new hairs start to turn grey ? <by Zed> |
|
Hair
Cycle
<back to top> |
| 55 |
If the cultured
hair cells exhibit the same properties, will the new hair go
through the hair cycle (anagen, catagen, telogen) all at the same
time ? What are the possibilities that the new hair will fall off
simultaneously if they go through telogen all at the same time
? <by Zed> |
|
Hair
Replacement
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
Will HM be viable
for those who currently wears a non-surgical hair systems (or
hairpiece) ? Since most hair systems are attached to the scalp by
means of some medical grade adhesives, do you think the adhesives
will change the scalp tissues in some way that would make it
difficult for HM to work ? Most hair replacement companies claim
that the adhesives are medical grade and are safe for long term
use, but really there are no scientific studies which examine
whether the adhesives will affect existing hair growth or not.
<by JC> |
|
Hair
Transplant
<back
to top> |
| 57 |
If I am
considering getting conventional hair transplants from you today, would you recommend
that I visit your clinic and inquire about hair transplants or should I just wait for your HM
to become available ? Does your clinic still provide conventional hair transplants ?
<JTR> |
| 58 |
On a scale of 1 to
10, could you rate the effectiveness of a traditional hair transplant vs HM as it exists now ?
<WBBSG> |
| 59 |
Do you plan to
share or license your technology with hair transplant clinics
worldwide ? <WBBSG> |
| 60 |
Were the results of
your procedure cosmetically as good as a typical hair transplant
in achieving an appearance of fullness of hair (overall appearance of density).
<James Bond> |
|
ISO
Certification
<back
to top> |
| DELETE |
You stated that
you are seeking ISO certification and that this certification is
for the electrical instruments that you use to perform HM. Are you
also seeking ISO certification for the protocol of performing HM ?
If not, how do you intend to standardize the actual medical
procedure so that it can be performed by a wide variety of
physicians with the same consistent results in each patient ? <James
Bond> |
| DELETE |
You have indicated
on several occasions that one of the obstacles in bringing HM to
the market involves standardization of the procedure. It appears that
you are able to perform HM and achieve an end result that you feel
is cosmetically acceptable at this point. However, you are
currently focusing on streamlining the procedure so that i will be
more efficient to perform and probably less expensive to the
patient. Is this still correct ? If not, please explain why. <James
Bond> |
| 63 |
Can you tell us
the progress with ISO Certification ? <Jan> |
|
Legal
Issues
<back
to top> |
| 64 |
Do you intend to vigorously enforce your 1998 patent ? Are further patents planned
reflecting your most recent work ? Are you aware of the 1996 law passed in the U.S which
prohibits patent infringement lawsuits against doctors who use medical procedures
patented by others after the law became effective ? <JTR> |
| DELETE |
Are the obstacles to introducing HM more of a technical nature of the process it self or are they legal or
beureacratic? <WBBSG> |
|
Last
April's Questions Revisited
Dr. Gho's answers to the following questions last April were
"more info will be forthcoming", so we will ask Dr. Gho
the same questions again this time.
<back to top> |
| 66 |
What kind
of density can be achieved, in hairs/cm2 ? Can a second HM
procedure give a greater density ? |
| 67 |
How long
does it before the new hair follicles start to grow from the time
when we first visit your clinic ? |
| 68 |
What is
the success rate of HM ? Does it work for everyone ? Who would be
the best candidates ? |
|
Patients
<back
to top> |
| 69 |
Can we see before and after pictures of test subjects from the clinic ?
<JeffT> |
|
Technical
Questions
<back to top> |
| 70 |
Have you experimented with germinative
epidermal cells (term used by Dr. Jahoda for stem (like) cells in the lower
follicle that differentiate in the matrix region to become hair fiber)? Do you see potential of this cell group in performing a future hair multiplication like
procedure. Is there even going to be a need for such future experimentation based on the potential future results of your own existing
procedure. <James Bond> |
| 71 |
Will the new hair grow only where there was once used to be hair or will they
grow wherever the cultured cells are injected regardless of whether there used to
be hair or not on the scalp ? <Hairless> |
| 72 |
How can you
identify proper donor hair if someone just started losing his hair
? <Interested Observer> |
| 73 |
The permanent hair at the sides and back are somewhat miniaturized in men
who have extensive baldness. Are these miniaturized permanent hair suitable
for culturing and if so, will the new hair inherit the characteristics of these
miniaturized permanent hair and stay thin ? <Interested
Observer> |
| 74 |
Are completely new follicles created or are old ones used with the addition of new HM
cells ? The patent seems to suggest that new follicles are induced to grow, is this accurate ?
<JeffT> |
| 75 |
If old follicles are induced to produce terminal hairs, what will prevent the cells in the matrix
from still reacting to DHT or whatever is ultimately responsible for the follicle
miniaturization from continuing to occur, making a treatment only a temporary solution ?
<JeffT> |
| 76 |
If old follicles are being rejuvenated in the process, can we rejuvenate all old follicles regardless
of how long they have remained inactive ? <JeffT> |
| 77 |
In HM, are you removing cells from follicles in
non-DHT-affected areas, culturing those cells, and then transplanting or
injecting the resulting cell lines INTO dormant follicles in balding areas of the
scalp to stimulate the cells in those dormant follicles? In other
words, does HM cause follicular neogenesis, ie: does it create brand new hair follicles which
previously did not exist, and is this the PRIMARY mechanism by which HM grows
hair ? <TAFP> |
| 78 |
Since you are injecting via the sweat pores, is the
functionality of the injected sweat pore retained after it is injected, or is it in some way changed
or damaged ? <James Bond> |
| 79 |
If new follicles are being formed, do their structures form and grow in the skin,
or by using the existing balding follicle structure in some way, or form in and grow in the
sweat pores? <James Bond> |
| 80 |
Do the cells injected with a single injection disperse when injected in the scalp and form follicles in
somewhat different areas, or does each injection lead to only a single new follicle site, even if it turns
out to be a multi-lobed follicle or two follicles jammed together etc.
<James Bond> |
Please post all
comments regarding these questions in
Dr. Gho 2002 forum.
===================
|
Information about this article |
| Article # |
181 |
| Title |
Second
Draft of Year 2002 Questions for Dr. Gho |
| Date |
01/07/02 |
| Source |
HairSite |
| Forum |
Research |
| Archive |
Research |
| Contact |
hairsite@aol.com |
|
Clinically
Proven
|
|
