What is QR678?

The QR 678 ®is a proprietary, first in class hair fall & hair regrowth therapy, which has revolutionized the treatment of hair fall in alopecia. This formulation has been named QR678 inspired by the new generation ubiquitous presence of “Quick Response“ QR code. 678 in Morse Code signifies “there is no answer”. This formulation has been named QR678™ to signify a “Quick Response to a disease which earlier had no answer”.

The QR 678 ® was invented by a team lead by Dr. Debraj Shome, a renowned Facial Plastic Surgeon and Dr. Rinky Kapoor, a well-known dermatologist. Dr. Shome & Dr. Kapoor co-founded The Esthetic Clinics®, which are a chain of top class dermatology & plastic surgery centers located in various cities in India.

Dr. Shome & Dr. Kapoor have had accomplished career in clinical research in plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery and aesthetic dermatology. In fact, The Esthetic Clinics ® are India’s first private organization to be approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) & Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), for conducting clinical trials for Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology, in India.

Composition of QR 678 ® hair growth formulation:

The effects of the active ingredients of QR 678 ® on the scalp skin are as follows:

S.No. 1    Sh-Polypeptide-9 (bio-mimicking VEGF)

Function:

• Sh-Polypeptide-9 is essential for angiogenesis and vascular permeability, may be responsible for maintaining proper vasculature around the hair follicle during the anagen growth phase. The highest expression of this peptide is found in Dermal papilla cells, and, is also expressed by follicular keratinocytes of the outer root sheath.
• It has been found to stimulate hair growth and increase hair size through facilitation of nutrient feeding to hair follicle by inducing angiogenesis (Ref. Kiichiro Y. et al., 2001, J. Clin. Invest. 107: 409–417).

S.No. 2    Sh-Polypeptide-1 (bio-mimicking bFGF)

• Sh-Polypeptide-1 has ability to stimulate neovascularization, is a potent in vitro mitogen for capillary endothelial cells, and stimulates angiogenesis in vivo
• This peptide may regulate the mitotic activity of epithelial-derived cells
• It is found in the Outer Root Sheath and in the region of the basal lamina of the follicle bulb, suggesting a role in bulb proliferation and fiber growth.
• It affects hair follicle initiation and development.

S.No. 3     Sh- Oligopeptide-2 (bio-mimicking IGF-1)

• Sh- Oligopeptide-2 appears to sustain normal anagen growth. They facilitate follicular proliferation, tissue remodeling, and the hair growth cycle, as well as follicular differentiation. IGF-1 mediated signaling is an important mitogenic and morphogenetic regulator in hair follicle biology.
• Androgen induction of follicular epithelial cell growth is mediated via this biomimetic peptide from dermal papilla cells.
• Strengthen hair while stimulating hair follicles to produce strong hair shaft.

S.No. 4    Sh-Polypeptide-3 (bio-mimicking KGF)

 Sh-Polypeptide-3  is secreted in large amounts by fibroblast-like stromal cells in epithelial tissues.

• Sh-Polypeptide-3 has been shown to regulate proliferation and differentiation in epithelial tissues and may regulate the clonogenic cells (stem cells) of the hair follicle.
• It increases hair follicle survival following cytotoxic insult.
• It stimulates capillary endothelial cell migration and proliferation and thus causes neovascularization. (Journal of Cell Science 112, 2049-2057 (1999)).
• It helps strengthen hair while stimulating hair follicles to produce strong hair shaft.

S.No. 5     Sh-Oligopeptide-4 (bio-mimicking Thymosin β4)

• Important mediator of cell migration and differentiation, it also promotes angiogenesis.
• Thymosin β4 accelerates hair growth, in part, due to its effect on critical events in the active phase of the hair follicle cycle, including promoting the migration of stem cells and their immediate progeny to the base of the follicle, differentiation, and extracellular matrix remodeling.
• Hepatocyte growth factor up-regulates thymosin β4 expression and may be acting by increasing thymosin β4 and/or synergizing with it.

  S.No. 6    Copper tripeptide-1

Delivery of copper peptide to the base of follicles helps strengthen hair while stimulating hair follicles to

produce strong hair shaft.

• Increase follicle size.
• Rebuilds the blood supply to damaged follicles, elevates the production of vascular endothelial growth factor.
• Increases melanin synthesis, necessary to keep hair from turning grey.
• Increases subcutaneous fat below the scalp which seems to support function for the hair follicle.
• Prolongs the hair growth phase.
• Inhibits 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that reduces testosterone to DHT. DHT, in turn, is responsible for androgenetic alopecia. (Ref. H Uno. et al. 1995. Journal of Invest. Dermatology. 101: 143-147) inhibit the forma tion of DHT, hence reducing hair loss from male pattern balding in both men and women.
• Reduces inflammation.

S.No. 7   Ascorbic acid

Function: Vitamin C helps build collagen, which is highly important for hair growth, as well as maintaining the strength of hair. Vitamin C plays a necessary role in absorbing iron, which keeps the hair strands  strong and healthy.

S.No. 8   Niacinamide

Function: Improves the scalp skin barrier function so that the hair follicles can develop properly.

S.No. 9   Retinol

Function: The follicle disintegrates during catagen in normal process. However, in case of alopecia, the hair follicle stem cell population remains, but the hair follicle dermal papilla detaches from the stem cells and prevents mesenchymal–epithelial interactions necessary for hair follicle cycling. This is particularly accentuated in Vitamin-A deficiency. Therefore Retinol administration is seen to help.

S.No. 10   Pantothenic acid

Function: Maintaining proper levels of pantothenic acid can strengthen hair follicles and their cells. This vitamin contributes to the nourishment of hair follicles, helping them to function properly and promote the growth of hair. Pantothenic acid can also help relieve the skin itching and flaking associated with dandruff and other similar disorders.

How does it work?

The QR 678 ® therapy arrests hair fall & increases the thickness, number & density of existing hair follicles, leading to greater coverage in patients with alopecia. Since, the polypeptides used in QR 678 ® are anyways present in scalp full of hair (they get decreased in scalps which have hair fall), it is the enrichment of the scalp skin with these polypeptides which cause hair growth. Since these polypeptides are anyways normally present in the scalp, replenishing the scalp with these is not artificial and does not have any side effects.

Unlike currently available hair fall treatments like minoxidil & finasteride, the QR 678 ® therapy is almost completely devoid of side effects. It is locally administered over the scalp skin by mesotherapy & as such is not absorbed into the systemic circulation. Unlike currently available hair transplant therapies like Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) & Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), the QR 678 ® is non invasive, non surgical & therefore safer & more affordable.

The QR 678 ®therapy works very well in androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness & female pattern hair loss. The QR 678 ® therapy has also demonstrated encouraging results in post chemotherapy induced hair loss, treatment of hair conditions like seborrheic dermatitis & in immunogenic diseases like alopecia areata.

Intellectual Property & Timelines:

The QR678 storyline

Serendipity has been the driving force behind this invention. Much like Viagra, research into Retinoblastoma (a form of ocular cancer) brought out the side effects into focus, culminating into the formulation today known as QR 678 ®

Here is a link to more information on mechanism of administration of the QR 678 ®therapy: