MERCK FROSST OFFERS HELP FOR HAIR LOSS
By Adnews Staff
Merck Frosst of Kirkland, Que. is combating male hair loss. The pharmaceutical company launched a new prescription pill this week that Merck Frosst says stops hair loss. Called Propecia, the pill is taken once a day. Hair loss is caused by an enzyme that regulates the production of a derivative of testosterone called DHT. DHT is a hormone that shrinks hair follicles and eventually leads to hair loss. Propecia works by stopping the action of the enzyme responsible for the transformation of testosterone into DHT. The drug will be promoted using ads in medical journals. The ads will be created by Merck Frosst's in-house agency, P.L.E.D.S. The company also plans to target consumers in future advertising for Propecia. PR is being done by Corporate Communications Inc. of Halifax. Merck Frosst also markets a line of cardiovascular products for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and heart failure, as well as a broad range of vaccines.