Shiseido launched product

[Tricia]

For what it's worth, Shiseido has launched its hair loss product (adenogen) in Japan today. I'm sort of in a funk these days and not too willing to try any new product.

Title : Japan's battle for hair loss solutions heats up
By :
Date : 21 March 2005 1409 hrs (SST)
URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 53/1/.html

TOKYO : A corporate battle to provide hair loss solutions in Japan heated up on Monday with the nation's top cosmetics maker Shiseido launching a new tonic to rival the market leader.

Shiseido hopes Adenogen hair tonic for men, using hair growth stimulant adenosine, will knock Taisho Pharmaceutical and its RiUP product off the top shelf.

"With the launch of this product we aim to win the top market share," a Shiseido spokesman said. "We want to increase our share to 20 percent."

Shiseido currently holds 10 percent of the Japanese market.

The company spokesman said Adenogen is categorised as "a quasi drug" unlike top-selling RiUP, which is designated as a pharmaceutical product containing minoxidil developed by US drugmaker Upjohn, now Pfizer.

Taisho started selling RiUP in 1999, when it took the market leader position off Shiseido, and the firm now controls about 30 percent of the Japanese market for hair growth products, a Taisho spokesman said.

Taisho values the entire market at 55 billion yen (US$525 million) in terms of shipments by manufacturers last year.

Taisho's RiUP Lady, designed for women, will hit the shelves on April 1.

"The market for hair growth products for women in Japan is small; it is only approximately three billion yen. However, Taisho is aiming to expand this market by reaching out to potential customers," it said in a statement.

The Shiseido spokesman valued the overall Japanese market at about 35 billion yen in terms of store sales for the year to March 2004. - AFP

[HairLossFight.com]

Thanks for the news Tricia. I suppose any news at this point that there is activity in the hair loss product space is good. Now lets see over the next few months what people have to say about it. I guess the proof will be in the pudding...

[Tricia]

Yeah, I'll see what other people say about it. I found a website that sells and ships it internationally. It's not cheap. For one 150 ml bottle, it's $87. It listed the ingredients. They sounded irritating....menthol, being an example of that.

You have to use 2 ml, 2x a day. I'm using minoxidil 2x a day and can't see me adding any more junk to my scalp. If it works like the bomb, then sure I'll try it. We'll know if it works soon enough just by word of mouth. I haven't seen any before and after pictures from Shiseido.

I think they are after market share more than anything else. I keep waiting for some good hair cloning news.