Pelage Pharmaceuticals
Pelage Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage regenerative medicine biotech developing PP405, a topical small-molecule MPC inhibitor that reactivates dormant hair follicle stem cells, for men and women with androgenetic alopecia and related forms of hair loss.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pelage Pharmaceuticals does
Pelage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held, clinical-stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company is developing PP405, a topical small-molecule mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitor designed to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) by inhibiting pyruvate oxidation and upregulating lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), thereby restoring the natural hair follicle growth cycle. The technology is rooted in a metabolic switch discovery made by UCLA scientists and is exclusively licensed from the UCLA Technology Development Group.
The company's lead clinical program targets androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), with potential pipeline expansion into chemotherapy-induced alopecia and telogen effluvium. PP405 has completed a Phase 2a randomized placebo-controlled trial in 78 men and women with androgenetic alopecia, meeting its primary safety endpoint with no systemic absorption detected in blood; 31% of men with higher hair loss achieved a >20% increase in hair density at Week 8 versus 0% on placebo, and the program is advancing into Phase 3 trials planned for 2026. The trial design and intended label are explicitly inclusive, targeting all genders, skin phototypes, and hair types.
Pelage is pre-revenue and funded by venture capital, having raised approximately $150.75 million across a Series A (Feb 2024), Series A-1 (Aug 2024), and Series B (Oct 2025), with the Series B co-led by ARCH Venture Partners and GV (Google Ventures). The business model anticipates future revenue from FDA-approved prescription drug commercialization via direct physician-targeted sales or licensing/partnership with a larger pharmaceutical company. Leadership includes a scientific founding team from UCLA, a Clinical Advisory Board of leading academic dermatologists, and an investor-anchored board with deep biotech operating and capital markets experience.
Pelage Pharmaceuticals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pelage Pharmaceuticals
- Legal name
- Pelage Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Website
- https://pelagepharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pelage Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage regenerative medicine biotech developing PP405, a topical small-molecule MPC inhibitor that reactivates dormant hair follicle stem cells, for men and women with androgenetic alopecia and related forms of hair loss.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pelage Pharmaceuticals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regenerative Hair Loss Therapeutics
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Endocrinology & Reproductive Health Pharmaceuticals (incl. Women’s Health) (HLAIAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Nephrology & Urology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAM)
Keywords
Where Pelage Pharmaceuticals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pelage Pharmaceuticals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Pre-revenue clinical-stage drug development: Currently pre-revenue; the company is a clinical-stage biotech developing its lead asset PP405 through Phase 2a with Phase 3 trials planned for 2026. No commercial product on market. Future revenue expected from FDA-approved prescription drug commercialization (direct sales or partnership licensing).
- Equity financing (venture capital): Funded through successive venture capital rounds: $16.75M Series A (Feb 2024), $14M Series A-1 (Aug 2024), and $120M Series B (Oct 2025) — totaling approximately $150.75M raised from GV (Google Ventures), ARCH Venture Partners, Main Street Advisors, Visionary Ventures, and YK Bioventures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Investigational drug — no commercial pricing available |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Pelage Pharmaceuticals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pelage Pharmaceuticals is developing PP405, a novel, non-invasive, topical small-molecule drug that acts as a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitor to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells and stimulate hair regrowth. The investigational product is being advanced through FDA-regulated clinical trials as a first-in-class regenerative treatment for androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), with potential expansion into chemotherapy-induced alopecia and telogen effluvium. The company is currently pre-revenue, with Phase 2a complete and Phase 3 trials planned for 2026, and intends to commercialize via direct physician-targeted sales or partnership with a larger pharmaceutical company.
Product overview
Pelage Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company offering a single unified investigational product platform centered on its lead program PP405. The PP405 platform is a non-invasive, topical small molecule drug designed to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells and restore the body's natural ability to grow hair. PP405 acts as a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitor, upregulating lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to drive stem cell activation and follicular regeneration. It is being developed as a first-in-class treatment for androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss) and potentially other forms of hair loss including drug-induced alopecia and telogen effluvium. The technology is rooted in pioneering stem cell research out of UCLA (licensed in 2018) and is delivered as a once-daily topical application without detectable systemic exposure. Pelage is currently advancing PP405 through Phase 2a clinical trials with plans to initiate Phase 3 studies in 2026. The product is targeted at men and women of all skin types and hair types.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PP405: Pelage's lead investigational product: a novel, non-invasive, topical small molecule (mitochondrial pyruvate carrier / MPC inhibitor) designed to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells and restart hair growth in androgenetic alopecia and other forms of alopecia.
Products and services
- PP405 PP405 is a novel, non-invasive, topical small-molecule drug (mitochondrial pyruvate carrier / MPC inhibitor) designed to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells and restart hair growth. It acts on the cellular metabolic pathway to upregulate lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), which stem cells are particularly sensitive to, resulting in their activation. PP405 is being developed as a first-in-class treatment for androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss) in men and women, with potential future expansion into chemotherapy-induced alopecia and telogen effluvium. It is delivered as a once-daily topical application with no detectable systemic exposure and is currently an investigational drug in Phase 2a clinical trials (NCT06393452) with Phase 3 studies planned for 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- 31% of men with higher hair loss achieved >20% increase in hair density at Week 8 (vs. 0% in placebo group) after only 4 weeks of topical PP405 dosing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Pelage Pharmaceuticals
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pelage Pharmaceuticals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Pelage Pharmaceuticals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic advisor (cab) and foundational scientific partner / ip licensor.
- Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School (Clinical Advisory Board)strategic advisor (cab)Dr. Mathew Avram, MD, JD, FAAD (Director, MGH Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center; Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School) serves on Pelage's Clinical Advisory Board to support clinical development strategy and inclusive trial design.
- Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School (Clinical Advisory Board)strategic advisor (cab)Dr. Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPA, MPH, FAAD (Vice Chair of Clinical Trials and Innovation, Director of the Dermatology Inpatient Service at Brigham & Women's Hospital; Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School) serves on Pelage's Clinical Advisory Board and presented Phase 2a results at AAD 2026.
- Wake Forest School of Medicine (Clinical Advisory Board)strategic advisor (cab)Dr. Amy McMichael, MD, FAAD (Professor and past Chair, Department of Dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine) serves on Pelage's Clinical Advisory Board to advance clinical development.
- Aesthetx (Clinical Advisory Board)strategic advisor (cab)Dr. Amelia K. Hausauer, MD, FAAD (Director of Dermatology and Minimally Invasive Aesthetics at Aesthetx) serves on Pelage's Clinical Advisory Board to support clinical development.
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) — UCLA Technology Development Groupfoundational scientific partner / ip licensorIn 2018, Pelage Pharmaceuticals licensed the intellectual property to PP405 and related topical small molecules from the UCLA Technology Development Group. Scientific co-founders Heather Christofk, Ph.D., Michael Jung, Ph.D., and William Lowry, Ph.D. are UCLA researchers whose discovery of a metabolic switch that activates hair follicle stem cells underpins Pelage's technology platform. UCLA Technology Development Group is also referenced in the Terms of Use as a partner.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pelage Pharmaceuticals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Follica: Clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing a hair follicle neogenesis approach for androgenetic alopecia; directly comparable to Pelage as a peer biotech targeting hair loss via a stem-cell/regenerative mechanism rather than hormone modulation.
- Stemson Therapeutics: Pre-clinical/early-stage biotech using iPSC-derived hair follicle stem cells to regenerate hair; operates in the same regenerative hair-loss category as Pelage and represents the most direct scientific peer for the HFSC activation thesis.
Broad incumbents
- Eli Lilly: Large-cap pharma actively researching hair loss (Eli Lilly's Francisco Ramírez-Valle appeared alongside Pelage's CEO on BioSpace's Denatured podcast to discuss regenerative hair loss innovation); represents a likely strategic acquirer/partner and the dominant incumbent in adjacent immunology/metabolic research.
- Johnson & Johnson: Markets Rogaine (minoxidil), the leading OTC hair loss treatment, and operates a large dermatology franchise through Janssen; relevant incumbent peer for both competitive dynamics and potential partnership/acquisition scenarios.
- Hims & Hers Health: Consumer telehealth platform (including Keeps) prescribing finasteride/minoxidil and other hair loss treatments at scale; represents the dominant direct-to-consumer commercialization channel for hair loss and a likely distribution/partner pathway for any approved prescription product.
Emerging players
- Aclaris Therapeutics: Clinical-stage dermatology biotech developing topical and small-molecule therapies (e.g., for alopecia areata); comparable business model (clinical-stage dermatology biotech, prescription drug pathway) with adjacent indication focus.
- Verrica Pharmaceuticals: Clinical/specialty dermatology biotech developing topical therapies; similar company stage and topical-prescription model, though focused on different skin conditions — useful comparable for clinical execution and commercial readiness.
- Krystal Biotech: Commercial-stage genetic medicines biotech with a topical/repeat-dosing platform and dermatology indication (Vyjuvek); comparable as a small-cap dermatology biotech with a novel topical mechanism and FDA approval, providing a useful valuation and launch benchmark.
- Botanix Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage dermatology biotech developing topical cannabinoid-based therapies for skin conditions; comparable as a small-cap, clinical-stage, topical-prescription dermatology peer and potential M&A/partner candidate.
- Cassiopea (Cosmo Pharmaceuticals subsidiary): Developed clascoterone (Winlevi) for androgen-driven dermatology indications; comparable as a late-stage dermatology biotech with a prescription/topical model and FDA-approved asset, providing a relevant commercialization benchmark for Pelage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Pelage Pharmaceuticals social profiles
Digital presencePelage Pharmaceuticals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pelage Pharmaceuticals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Pelage Pharmaceuticals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pelage Pharmaceuticals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pelage Pharmaceuticals
What does Pelage Pharmaceuticals do?
Pelage Pharmaceuticals is developing PP405, a novel, non-invasive, topical small-molecule drug that acts as a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitor to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells and stimulate hair regrowth. The investigational product is being advanced through FDA-regulated clinical trials as a first-in-class regenerative treatment for androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), with potential expansion into chemotherapy-induced alopecia and telogen effluvium. The company is currently pre-revenue, with Phase 2a complete and Phase 3 trials planned for 2026, and intends to commercialize via direct physician-targeted sales or partnership with a larger pharmaceutical company.
Is Pelage Pharmaceuticals a public or private company?
Pelage Pharmaceuticals is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Pelage Pharmaceuticals founded?
Pelage Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pelage Pharmaceuticals based?
Pelage Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pelage Pharmaceuticals make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Pre-revenue clinical-stage drug development is the primary driver. The others are equity financing (venture capital).
Who are Pelage Pharmaceuticals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Follica and Stemson Therapeutics. Broad incumbents are Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Hims & Hers Health. Emerging players are Aclaris Therapeutics, Verrica Pharmaceuticals, Krystal Biotech, Botanix Pharmaceuticals and Cassiopea (Cosmo Pharmaceuticals subsidiary).
Does Pelage Pharmaceuticals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pelage Pharmaceuticals.
What industry is Pelage Pharmaceuticals in?
Pelage Pharmaceuticals's product category is Regenerative Hair Loss Therapeutics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIAAAJ, Endocrinology & Reproductive Health Pharmaceuticals (incl. Women’s Health), with a secondary code of HLAIAAAM, Nephrology & Urology Pharmaceuticals. Its NAICS code is 3254 and its SIC code is 2834.