Veradermics' VDPHL01 Shows Modest Hair Growth Gains in Late-Stage Trial

Biotech startup Veradermics announced on April 27, 2026, that its oral medicine VDPHL01 succeeded in spurring hair growth in a late-stage trial. The trial assessed VDPHL01 by measuring the average number of hairs grown within a square centimeter of the scalp and by measuring participant satisfaction with the results. It lasted six months.

Men who took VDPHL01 once daily had 30 more hairs per square centimeter of scalp on average, while those who took it twice daily had 33 more hairs per square centimeter on average. Men in the placebo group grew approximately seven additional hairs per square centimeter of scalp on average.

Between 79% and 86% of men taking VDPHL01 reported seeing improvement, along with between 72% and 84% of the clinical trial investigators — results that pleased the chief executive of Veradermics.

@statnews reported that Veradermics is a major player in the hair loss treatment field, which has seen increased investor interest.

“I like to think of it as everyone eventually will have a cousin that is on this drug,” the chief executive said, according to @statnews. Allison DeAngelis, the East Coast biotech and venture capital reporter at STAT, covered the announcement, noting the trial's dual assessment methods and the drug's performance against placebo.