PP405, Xvie and a 2027 Minoxidil Pill Advance Hair-Loss Care

By Rebecca Stone

A four-week UCLA Phase 2 trial found that topical PP405 produced “terminal hair,” including on bald scalps, according to Marc R. Avram, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College specializing in hair loss.

Nearly 30 million women in the United States experience pattern hair loss, according to the Cleveland Clinic. ELLE also flags the potential for GLP-1-related hair loss and describes the past decade as a trying one shaped by a pandemic, political turmoil and everyday stressors.

As part of ELLE’s Future of Beauty Awards, the beauty team looked ahead at what comes next in beauty and wellness. The hair-loss review spans office treatments, clinical-stage drugs and an experimental injectable. A version appears in the November 2026 issue of ELLE.

What can patients try now?

ELLE reports that Xvie, newly available at dermatologists’ offices, is a multi-signal, exosome-rich concentrate made from amniotic fluid. Exosomes are tiny vesicles released by cells; they contain proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.

“Xvie takes a multi-signal approach to hair thinning by supporting cellular communication,” says Trillitye Paullin, PhD, a founding member and chief scientific officer of Xvie.

New York dermatologist Amy B. Lewis, MD, says she uses a magnifying camera to show patients where Xvie has encouraged new growth. She calls the countable follicle change a “quantitative result.”

ELLE says doctors can apply Xvie to the scalp after microneedling to encourage hair growth. The injectable version remains in trials, separating current office use from the in-development format.

What did the UCLA trial show?

The UCLA Phase 2 trial applied PP405 to participants’ scalps for four weeks. ELLE reports that the molecule wakes dormant stem cells in hair follicles; participants developed more than “peach fuzz,” reaching terminal hair, or full shafts with the potential to become long and thick.

“Importantly, it regrew hair even on bald scalps. That’s against dogma,” says Avram.

Avram said PP405 still needs to pass Phase 3 trials. He is hopeful it could reach patients within two years and, once approved, could become an option for female- or male-pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia.

Could an injectable target androgenetic alopecia?

Flourish Biologics is developing patented technology based on the discovery that parathyroid hormone contributes to hair growth. The hormone binds to receptors in the body to control calcium levels in the blood. Its injectable targets androgenetic alopecia and remains in animal testing.

David Leffell, MD, an emeritus dermatological surgeon at Yale and chief executive officer of Flourish Biologics, said: “While early animal tests have been strong, there are a number of steps before the human trials, which will probably occur in 12 to 18 months.”

When could a next-generation minoxidil pill arrive?

Avram said a new form of minoxidil “works even better,” based on data from ongoing clinical trials. He noted that peer review and regulatory approval remain pending.

A paper published in Dermatology Times reports that current oral minoxidil spikes quickly in the bloodstream, which may cause dizziness and heart palpitations. The drug works, the paper says, but does not maintain the ideal concentration for sustained hair growth.

ELLE reports that the extended-release form stays at the ideal dosage for hair growth over 12 hours and carries less risk of cardiac side effects. Veradermics has completed a Phase 2 trial with encouraging results.

A long-acting oral minoxidil pill might be available as early as 2027, according to ELLE’s review. ELLE points to Rogaine, the topical form of minoxidil, as the familiar benchmark.

The review uses a cultural shorthand for that comparison. In Sex and the City, Aidan snatches Rogaine from Carrie and says, “It’s preventative!”

Avram recommends discussing available options with a doctor now rather than waiting for the experimental treatments. “We’re in an era where if you seek treatment early, you can keep a good head of hair on your head,” he says.