HIP-12: Long Live Verteporfin

Verteporfin has generated positive in vivo results in multiple hair transplants, conducted by Dr. Taleb Barghouthi and Dr. Blake Bloxham. We seek to further improve the data on Verteporfin as a novel therapy to reduce scarring for hair transplant patients. We can achieve this through upleveling the equipment of Dr. Barghouti and Dr. Bloxham’s clinics, such that they can better administer and measure the results of their treatments.

With an initial $30k, we would expect to get ~3 more trials (1 person per trial, known as an ‘n of 1 study’) with proper equipment. Each of these trials will be testing different parameters (namely dosage amount, dosage frequency, and combination therapies). Before we send the funds to the doctors, we must outline mutually agreed to monetization methods, to fund more hair loss research.

Our options are: 1) co-own a proprietary protocol with the doctors, which we then charge additional clinics a small fee to utilize (includes drug handling procurement and instructions on how to administer), or 2) co-own the patient response data with the doctors and patients, which we then charge anyone a small fee to view (i.e. $1.99 to view the data on our website). Both options can be flexible and can be used to best align incentives within the industry. Option 1 could entail us helping doctors charge $1-2 more per graft when using Verteporfin, with us splitting the profits. Option 2 could entail further future rewards for more doctors and patients, who contribute more data to our Verteporfin data set.

This vote is to set aside $30k for the initial funding, per a successful monetization strategy with the doctors. We are interested in working significantly with both Dr. Barghouthi and Dr. Bloxham in the future, and so are flexible in HAIR, IP, and USDC payments to further incentivize their future Verteporfin data generation.

Please find additional information on Verteporfin, generated by project lead Endana, in the complete HIP document attached: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b22aluTMybuksXaghcZjpl03vWh3wk2G4cz-rSHaG60/edit?usp=sharing