1979: First Patent Granted for Baldness Remedy

After centuries of snake oils salesmen promising men a cure for baldness, it wasn’t until this day in 1979 for a patent to be granted. But the story begins back a lot earlier. In the 1950’s, the Upjohn Company (now owned by Pfizer) was working on a treatment to cure ulcers, but the compound used failed in that regard. Variations of that compound were created, and one called minoxidil showed promise as a cure for hypertension. At the University of Colorado’s medical school, a study of the drug was done under the care of Dr. Charles A. Chidsey who found that patients taking the drug began to grow extra hair on their bodies. Chidsey asked his colleague, Dr. Kahn for advice who then began his own experiments with the drug with his assistant, Dr. Grant. They too found similar results. The pair went to the headquarters of Upjohn on December 10, 1971, saying that they had discovered a “gold mine” and strongly suggested that they receive a 2-4% stake in the sale of all products containing a topical minoxidil. While the executives did not agree to such a deal, they filed a patent for the drug naming Dr. Chidsey as the only inventor since he was the first to report his findings about hair growth. The next year, Dr. Kahn and Dr. Grant discovered the patent application and disputed the patent. A financial settlement was reached, with all three doctors receiving substantial royalties. Upjohn developed the product Rogaine for the market launch, which the F.D.A. approved in 1988. The patent expired in 1996, allowing the product to be sold over the counter under other brand names. (Image: Image by Markus Spiske from Pixabay)