ACCIDENTAL CURES

MEdiCinES discovered by accident. This week: Hair-loss drugs TWO hair- loss treatments widely used today both began life as very different remedies. Regaine, a daily rub-on lotion available from pharmacies, was originally developed to treat high blood pressure.

But during trials, researchers noticed patients were sprouting hairs on their heads, hands and neck.

It was quickly reformulated into a lotion and first went on sale as an overthe-counter hair loss cure nearly 25 years ago.

The other drug, Propecia, was initially designed to treat an enlarged prostate — it works by stopping the hormone testosterone from binding to an enzyme that makes the prostate grow.

What scientists did not anticipate was that it would have the same effect of reducing testosterone levels in the scalp — where high testosterone can cause hair follicles to shrink, leading to male pattern baldness.