Hair loss medication becomes topic of interest

Taro Tanaka reports from Tokyo: Medication for men plagued by hair loss has become a topic of interest in Japan since a drug company began marketing it at the end of last year.

But specialists have made it clear that those who want to take the medicine should not expect too much.

Banyu Pharmaceutical Co. is selling the drug "finasteride," which is marketed under the trade name "Propecia." Its performance capabilities are said to be strictly aimed at preventing hair loss.

It is reported that one in three adult Japanese men are troubled by male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, which occurs during and after puberty. The hair thins at the top of the head and at the hairline.