![\"Olix](\"https:\/\/www.hairlosscure2020.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Olix-siRNA-Hair-Growth.gif\")
<\/a>Note that this post on Olix Pharmaceuticals (South Korea) and its androgenetic alopecia drug candidate OLX104C <\/span>was originally written in February 2021. Newer updates are on top in reverse chronological order. <\/span><\/p>\n OliX Pharmaceutica\u2019 OLX104C<\/a> is a RNA interference (RNAi) based small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecule to treat hair loss. The drug is currently in Phase 1b\/2a clinical trials, and in some docuements also referred to as OLX72021. It targets the androgen receptor (AR).<\/p>\n Update: August 5, 2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Renowned French multinational personal care corporation L\u2019Or\u00e9al just invested<\/a> 10.5 billion won ($7.4 million) in OliX via the purchase of over 70,000 shares. OliX actually raised a much higher 110 billion won ($78 million) in total, with US asset management firm Weiss Asset Management accounting for 100 billion won in equity financing.<\/p>\n Note that in my June 9, 2025 update, I mentioned that OliX and L\u2019Or\u00e9al had partnered in research related to hair and skin regeneration. Per the new article:<\/p>\n \u201cThe industry is taking note that L\u2019Or\u00e9al has joined as a direct investor following the joint research. It is seen as a move that shows confidence in OliX Pharmaceuticals\u2019 research outcomes and commercialization potential.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Also of note, Olix has completed<\/a> patient dosing in the Phase 1b clinical trial of its male pattern hair loss treatment OLX104C in Australia. They are set to advance to Phase 2a drug efficacy trials after completing patient follow-up observation and data analysis this month. CEO Lee Dong-ki quote:<\/p>\n \u201cWe will accelerate clinical development to bring a differentiated male pattern hair loss treatment to market.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, a new presentation from CEO DK Lee:<\/p>\n Update: December 26, 2025<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX Pharmaceuticals has finally begun<\/a> Phase 1b\/2a clinical trials for OLX72021 in Australis. They are using that name in the press release, but sill use OLX104C on their website. Note that OliX completed Phase 1 clinical trials in June 2024 (see my older updates).<\/p>\n Update: June 30, 2025<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX has officially launched<\/a> a new functional cosmetic hair loss tonic product called U:BERNA that helps alleviate hair loss symptoms. They do not specify if this is the RNAi based OLX104C (OLX72021), which targets the androgen receptor (AR) and is currently in Phase 1b\/2a clinical trials.<\/p>\n While U:BERNA is currently only available in South Korea, OliX plans to enter the global market in the near future. This trend of hair loss companies launching cosmecuticals before they get through clinical trials for their main product is great in my opinion, even if the cosmetic product turns out to be weak. On a related note,\u00a0Kintor (China) launched its KX-826<\/a> androgen receptor targeting product as a cosmetic spray in 2024. A stronger version of the same product is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials.<\/p>\n Update: June 9, 2025<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX and L\u2019Or\u00e9al (France) are partnering<\/a> in an exclusive multi-year scientific collaboration aimed at developing breakthrough solutions in the hair and skin regeneration sector. They will make use of OliX\u2019s proprietary RNA interference (RNAi) platform technology. Note that I have covered L\u2019Or\u00e9al<\/a> a few times in the past due to their significant interest in the hair loss sector.<\/p>\n Update: March 15, 2025<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX Pharmaceuticals has filed for<\/a> a Phase 1b\/2a clinical trial plan for its hair loss treatment candidate OLX104C. The trial will be conducted on 120 men with androgenetic alopecia at 10 trial sites in Australia. Surprisingly, the clinical trial is scheduled to last a lengthy 30 months from the date of approval. OliX\u2019s stock price responded favorably<\/a> to this news.<\/p>\n Also of interest, in February 2025, Eli Lilly (US) paid OliX $630m for rights<\/a> to the company\u2019s metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) candidate OLX75016. The Phase 1 clinical trials for this produce began in Australia in February 2024.<\/p>\n Update: June 19, 2024<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In a very surprising development, OliX Pharmaceuticals just announced<\/a> that it completed its Phase 1 clinical trials in Australia ahead of schedule. Note that they call their hair loss treatment drug OLX104C, but call the \u201csubstance name\u201d OLX72021.<\/p>\n The trial was conducted via a step-by-step increase in dosage. The drug was injecting intradermally into the hair loss patient\u2019s crown region. Based on follow-up observations, safety was found to be excellent in three cohorts of treated volunteers. The company then decided to skip the fourth cohort. Official results are expected before the end of this year after 8 weeks of follow-up.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, apart from the injectable treatment, Olix is also developing a hair loss cosmeceutical and plans to launch it this year<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Update: April 12, 2024<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n At the just ended WCHR2024 conference, OliX Pharmaceutical made a presentation via Dr. Won Chong-hyun. This doctor is a dermatology professor at Asan Medical Center and is collaborating with OliX on the hair loss drug OLX104C (OLX72021) that targets the androgen receptor.<\/p>\n \u201cOliX Pharmaceuticals, a Korean biotech firm specializing in RNA interference technologies, recently announced the promising results of its hair loss treatment, OLX104C, at the 13th World Congress for Hair Research (WCHR 2024).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Neither of the two news items discuss actual results. However, they must have been favorable enough for the South Korean company to attend and present at this conference in the US.<\/p>\n The presentation itself was titled: \u201cEfficacy of Asymmetric siRNA Targeting Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Update: June 13, 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX Pharmaceuticals just announced<\/a> that it has commenced Phase 1 clinical trials for OLX72021. This investigational RNAi therapeutic suppresses the hormonal activity that causes androgenic alopecia by reducing the expression of the androgen receptor (AR). OLX72021 is topically injected into the scalps of men with male pattern hair loss.<\/p>\n It seems like OLX104C has been renamed to OLX72021, although the former name is still the one listed on the company\u2019s pipeline page. It could also end up being two separate products, with one being a drug and the other a cosmeceutical. I infer this from the earlier CEO update with quotes (see further below).<\/p>\n The 30-person trial<\/a> participants in Australia will be split into 5 cohorts that will get one intradermal injection of various doses (or placebo) and come back for follow-up after 8 weeks. The injection will be spread across 6 areas of alopecia near the crown region of the patients\u2019 scalps.<\/p>\n Update: March 10, 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX just got approval<\/a> from Australia\u2019s Human Research Ethics Committees (HREC) to begin a phase 1 clinical trial of OLX72021. This candidate \u201cinhibits the activity of hormones that cause male hair loss\u201d. The effect lasted for more than three weeks in animal tests.<\/p>\n Update:<\/strong> In a March 23 article<\/a> on this same development, CEO Dong Ki Lee states the following:<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also planning to launch hair loss cosmeceuticals in due time for the safety of OLX72021 to be confirmed in this clinical trial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe company will develop OLX72021 not only as an RNAi technology-based new drug<\/strong>, but also as a cosmeceutical<\/strong>, which offers consumers accessibility and convenience of use.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So far, we have only heard about Olix\u2019s RNAi based candidate for the treatment of male pattern hair called OLX104C. It reduces the expression of the androgen receptor via small interfering RNA (siRNA). Perhaps the new product is just the old one renamed. I will update this post when I find out.<\/p>\n Update: November 23, 2022<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n On November 22, 2022, OliX published<\/a> pre-clinical research on its androgenetic alopecia treatment program, OLX104C. The results are very encouraging. Actual study is here<\/a> and the researchers demonstrated:<\/p>\n \u201cEfficacy of androgen receptor reduction, hair loss inhibition, and long duration of action in primary cultured human follicle<\/strong> dermal papilla cells (HFDPC) and rodent models of hair loss.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n They call this technology \u201ccp-asiRNA targeting AR\u201d and \u201cAR-targeting asiRNA (cp-asiAR)\u201d. The asiRNA stands for asymmetric small interfering RNA.<\/p>\n In May 2022, OliX raised $45 million<\/a> and announce that its androgenetic alopecia product (OLX104C) will enter clinical trials later this year. Moreover, in August 2021, OliX obtained a Notice of Allowance<\/a> from the US Patent and Trademark Office for OLX104C.<\/p>\n In June 2021, OliX signed an agreement<\/a> with LGC Biosearch Technologies to accelerate production of asymmetric siRNA for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Olix CEO Dong-ki Lee<\/a> also presented at SMi\u2019s 12th Annual RNA Therapeutics virtual conference.<\/p>\n February 10, 2021<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OliX Pharmaceuticals (South Korea) just made a major announcement<\/a>. Their RNAi based hair loss product OLX104C successfully grew back hair in mice following just one single injection. The mice were suffering from androgenetic alopecia due to them being given excess dihydrotestosterone (DHT).<\/p>\n \u201cWe are advancing a novel and potentially durable approach to treating hair loss\u201d \u2014 CEO Dong Ki Lee<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In this preclinical study, OLX104C was administered topically to a mouse model via an injection. The before and after photos are amazing. Interestingly, they compare the results to the anti-androgen Flutamide<\/a>.<\/p>\n More importantly, OliX is the real deal. Their news page is very impressive with regular significant developments. This includes raising $37.2 million in December 2020. They also received US FDA Phase 2a approval in November, 2020 to treat hypertrophic scars<\/a>.<\/p>\n On OliX\u2019s pipeline page, they state that small interfering RNA (siRNA) has limitations in terms of stability, delivery and toxicity. This is not a problem with RNAi therapeutics. Per their patent<\/a>, they are using asymmetric siRNA to inhibit the male pattern hair loss gene expression.<\/p>\n siRNA suppresses gene expression by selectively removing messenger RNA (mRNA), which is the blueprint for making specific proteins. The next generation treatment\u2019s strength lies in its ability to regulate, at the gene level, signals related to the androgen receptor and dihydrotestosterone. The combination of these two represents the main cause of androgenetic alopecia. Existing hair loss treatments work by suppressing hormone production or action, but siRNA represents an approach that blocks the gene signals that cause hair loss.<\/p>\n In 2021, I also wrote a post about microRNA (miRNA) and hair growth<\/a>. In there, I discussed a new company working on messenger RNA (mRNA) based hair regeneration. Thereafter, in 2023, I wrote about a new SAMiRNA\u2122 based hair loss cosmeceutical called CosmeRNA<\/a> that targets the androgen receptor. SAMiRNA is a new type of siRNA nanoparticle that does not cause immune stimulation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nL\u2019Or\u00e9al (France) and others Invest $78 million in OliX Pharmaceuticals and Phase 2a Trials for OLX104C to Start Soon<\/h3>\n
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OliX Begins Phase 1b\/2a Clinical Trials for OLX72021<\/h2>\n
OliX Launches U:BERNA Hair Loss Tonic<\/h4>\n
OliX Partners with L\u2019Or\u00e9al for Skin and Hair Regeneration Research<\/h3>\n
OliX Pharmaceuticals Submits a Phase 1b\/2a Clinical Trial Plan for OLX104C<\/h2>\n
OliX Completes Phase 1 Clinical Trials<\/h3>\n
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Olix Pharmaceuticals Begins Clinical Trials in Australia<\/h3>\n
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Asymmetric siRNA Targeting of the Androgen Receptors<\/h4>\n
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OliX Pharma\u2019s RNAi Hair Loss Product OLX104C<\/h2>\n
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siRNA<\/h3>\n