DURHAM – REVIAN Inc., a subsidiary of KNOW Bio LLC, shared new study results for a therapy system designed to treat patients with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) at an annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology held at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

CCCA is a form of scarring hair loss, thought to have environmental, genetic, and inflammatory components, according to the company.  There is no known cure.

“There is no known treatment for CCC Alopecia,” a spokesperson for the company told WRAL TechWire.  But now, there may be.  That’s because a study on the company’s technology, known as the REVIAN RED System, has concluded with “the first positive clinical results for this type of alopecia from a US company,” according to the spokesperson.

REVIAN RED System (REVIAN image).

The REVIAN RED System relies on the use of low-level light therapy, using two wavelengths of LED light, to “stimulate the production and release of nitric oxide (NO), increase local blood flow, reduce inflammation, and inhibit DHT production which provides the right environment for new hair growth,” according to a company statement.

Here’s how it works: the system is a wearable head cap controlled by a smart phone application that “functions to provide a hair loss treatment for men and women using LED light,” according to the company.  The smart phone app controls the cap.

Durham startup plans to cure baldness with LED light

Study results

The study was conducted by the Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, according to the company.  Each patient was directed to use the therapy for 10 minutes each day and participated in follow-up visits at two, four, and six months, according to the company.

According to REVIAN, the reported study results were:

  • Decreased loss of follicular openings and breakage in 75% of patients
  • Follow-up imaging revealed short, regrowing vellus hairs and minimal inter and perifollicular scale
  • 75% of patients had improved Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at the end of the study
  • 80% of the patients completed the study

“To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the use of low-level light therapy for CCCA management,” said Dr. Amy McMichael M.D., chair and professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in a statement.  “In my opinion, the Revian Red system is showing promising results for a complex disease for which we have no treatment options.”

Durham startup: Clinical trial results prove it has cure for baldness