Breezula (Clascoterone) Vs Pyrilutamide: How They Compare For Hair Loss
Last reviewed on 16 October 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
Key points
They are two versions of the same idea. Breezula (the brand name for clascoterone) and pyrilutamide, also known as KX-826, are both topical anti-androgens: both are applied to the scalp and both block DHT, the hormone that drives male pattern hair loss, right at the follicle.
Neither lowers DHT in the body. Unlike a tablet such as finasteride, both work only where they are applied, blocking DHT’s effect on the follicle without reducing the hormone throughout the body, which is meant to limit whole-body side effects.
The main difference is their chemistry and how far along they are. Clascoterone is a steroidal anti-androgen already approved as a cream for acne; pyrilutamide is a non-steroidal one. For hair loss, both are still in development.
Neither is approved for hair loss. Neither is an approved, licensed medicine for hair loss: the hair-loss version of Breezula is still in trials, and pyrilutamide, though now sold over the counter as a cosmetic, is not an approved medicine and has had mixed trial results.
Their evidence is promising but unsettled. Clascoterone’s late-stage hair-loss results have not been fully published, and pyrilutamide’s trial results have been mixed, so it is too early to rank one above the other.
They are not really rivals you can choose between. Because neither is an approved medicine for hair loss (pyrilutamide is sold only as a cosmetic, and the hair-loss version of Breezula is still in trials), the practical question is less which to pick than whether a topical anti-androgen of this kind is proven and approved, and which gets there first.
Neither adds hair or restores a bald scalp. Both aim to protect the hair you still have; for bald areas a hair transplant is the only option that adds hair. Which suits you is best decided with a clinician.
Breezula and pyrilutamide are the two leading examples of the same new idea in hair loss: a topical anti-androgen that blocks DHT at the scalp rather than lowering it throughout the body. Breezula (clascoterone) and pyrilutamide (KX-826) are often compared for exactly this reason, because they aim to do the same job in much the same way. The differences are in their chemistry and in how far each has got, but crucially neither is yet approved for hair loss.
This guide compares Breezula and pyrilutamide neutrally: what each is, how they differ, how effective they are, where each stands, who each suits, and how they fit with other treatments. It is general information and not a substitute for advice from a doctor.
The short answer
Breezula and pyrilutamide are two versions of the same idea: a topical anti-androgen that blocks DHT, the hormone behind male pattern hair loss, at the scalp without lowering it throughout the body. Breezula is the brand name for clascoterone, a steroidal anti-androgen that is already approved as a cream for acne and is being developed as a stronger scalp solution for hair loss. Pyrilutamide, also called KX-826, is a non-steroidal anti-androgen developed specifically for hair loss. Both aim to protect the follicle from DHT while keeping whole-body effects low, so in mechanism they are remarkably alike. The differences are their chemistry and their progress: clascoterone has the advantage of an approved acne product behind it, while pyrilutamide has been tested directly in hair-loss trials, with mixed results. But the key point is that neither is yet approved for hair loss, and for both the evidence is promising rather than settled. So, in practice, these are two candidates for the same job: pyrilutamide can now be bought, but only as a cosmetic rather than an approved medicine, while the hair-loss version of Breezula is still in trials. The real question is which, if either, is proven and approved as a medicine. Neither, in any case, can regrow a scalp that is already bald.
What is Breezula (clascoterone)?
Breezula is the brand name under development for clascoterone used on the scalp for hair loss. It is a topical anti-androgen. As a narrative review of clascoterone explains, "clascoterone cream is the first topical androgen receptor inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acne vulgaris", and it works "by binding to androgen receptors in a manner competitive with DHT", blocking the signalling that DHT would otherwise trigger at the follicle. Crucially, "topical administration of clascoterone enables selective targeting of cutaneous androgen receptors, while its rapid metabolic inactivation to cortexolone, an inactive metabolite, minimizes the potential for systemic adverse effects". It is a steroidal molecule, a derivative of cortexolone. For hair loss it is not yet approved, and the review notes its pivotal phase 3 programme "was reported to be completed in 2025" but that "the complete results of these trials have not been published in peer-reviewed journals". Our guide on Breezula (clascoterone) for hair loss covers where it stands.
What is pyrilutamide (KX-826)?
Pyrilutamide, also known as KX-826, is a topical anti-androgen developed specifically for hair loss by the company Kintor. Like clascoterone, it blocks DHT at the follicle rather than lowering the hormone in the body, but it is a different, non-steroidal, molecule. As a 2026 review of emerging hair-loss pharmacotherapies describes, it is a "topical non-steroidal androgen receptor antagonist" that "blocks DHT at follicle without systemic DHT reduction", and it "works by blocking DHT’s effect on hair follicles without lowering overall DHT levels". The review is clear that it remains experimental: it reports "mixed phase III results (some trials met safety/efficacy endpoints in China; prior failures noted); ongoing long-term/1.0% trials", and lists it as "not FDA-approved; investigational". It is not approved or licensed as a prescription medicine for hair loss by regulators such as the UK’s MHRA or the US FDA. The same compound is, however, now sold over the counter as a cosmetic scalp solution, directly to consumers including in the UK, by its developer and its commercial partners. It is the same substance either way: being sold as a cosmetic rather than a licensed medicine does not mean it is a different or weaker product, only that it has not been through the trials and approval that would confirm how well it works. Our guide on pyrilutamide (KX-826) for hair loss covers it in more detail.
Which is more effective for hair loss?
It is too early to say, because neither has settled, published evidence and the two have not been compared head to head. Clascoterone is promising: the clascoterone review notes it "has emerged as a promising candidate for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia", while being clear that "emerging but still incomplete data suggest potential applications in androgenetic alopecia", and that its pivotal phase 3 results "have not been published in peer-reviewed journals and are available only through sponsor-issued announcements", so they "cannot be presented as established evidence". Pyrilutamide is at a similar stage, but its results have been less consistent: the emerging-pharmacotherapies review describes "mixed phase III results", with some endpoints met in China and "prior failures noted".
So the honest position is that both are promising but unproven, and that pyrilutamide’s mixed results make it, if anything, the less certain of the two for now, though clascoterone’s fullest results are also still unpublished. Because they share the same mechanism, it may well turn out that one is simply better formulated or further along than the other, but there is not yet the published, independent evidence to say which.
Breezula vs pyrilutamide: how do they compare?
They are more alike than almost any other pair of hair-loss treatments, but they differ in a few ways:
What they are: both are topical anti-androgens applied to the scalp. Breezula (clascoterone) is steroidal; pyrilutamide (KX-826) is non-steroidal.
How they work: both block DHT at the follicle’s androgen receptor, tackling the hormonal cause locally, without lowering DHT in the body. In mechanism they are very similar.
Side-effect aim: both are designed to act only where applied and to keep whole-body effects low, which is the main appeal of a topical anti-androgen over a tablet.
Background: clascoterone already has an approved acne cream behind it, which is a point in its favour; pyrilutamide was developed directly for hair loss.
Availability: neither is approved for hair loss. The hair-loss version of Breezula is still in development; pyrilutamide is investigational.
Evidence: both are promising but unsettled. Clascoterone’s late-stage results are not yet fully published; pyrilutamide’s trial results have been mixed.
Rivals or candidates: because neither is an approved medicine, they are less two options to choose between than two candidates for the same job, and which, if either, is proven and approved first matters more than which is theoretically better.
What neither does: neither adds new hair or restores a bald area, so both are for protecting the hair you still have rather than replacing hair that is gone.
Which is right for you?
In practical terms, neither is a choice you can make right now, because neither is approved for hair loss. If you are drawn to the idea of a topical anti-androgen, one that protects the follicle from DHT without the whole-body effects of a tablet, then both Breezula and pyrilutamide are worth following, because they are the two leading attempts at exactly that. Clascoterone perhaps has the edge of an approved acne product and a clearer regulatory path, while pyrilutamide has been tested directly in hair-loss trials but with mixed results. Either way, both remain promising rather than proven: pyrilutamide is sold only as a cosmetic, and the hair-loss version of Breezula is still in trials. The sensible way to think about them is not as a choice between two products but as a category to watch: topical anti-androgens that, if one is approved, could suit people who want to tackle the hormonal cause locally.
Neither, in any case, suits someone whose loss is advanced or whose follicles are already gone, because both only aim to protect hair that is still there. Because neither is an approved, proven medicine for hair loss, the sensible step is to start with proven, licensed options and to discuss the newer treatments with a clinician, who can keep you informed as each is studied and approved.
Can they be combined with other treatments?
Combining Breezula and pyrilutamide with each other would make little sense, because they do the same job in the same way, and in any case neither is an approved medicine for hair loss (pyrilutamide is sold only as a cosmetic, and the hair-loss version of Breezula is still in trials). The more useful question is how a topical anti-androgen of this kind might fit alongside the proven treatments. In principle, because both block DHT at the scalp, either could one day complement minoxidil, which stimulates the follicles by a different route, or sit as an alternative to a DHT-lowering tablet for those who prefer to avoid one. The comparisons with the proven mainstays and the other newer options are covered in our guides on finasteride versus Breezula, minoxidil versus Breezula and Breezula versus PP405, which looks at a different kind of experimental topical.
Neither Breezula nor pyrilutamide can restore hair where the follicles have been lost. Where loss is advanced, a hair transplant is a separate option that redistributes your own permanent hair, and a treatment that protects the surrounding hair is often used around it. The key point is that these are treatments intended to protect the hair you still have, used as part of a wider plan, not a cure.
The bottom line
Breezula and pyrilutamide are two versions of the same new idea: a topical anti-androgen that blocks DHT, the hormone behind male pattern hair loss, at the scalp without lowering it throughout the body. Breezula (clascoterone) is a steroidal anti-androgen already approved as a cream for acne and in development as a scalp solution for hair loss; pyrilutamide (KX-826) is a non-steroidal one developed directly for hair loss. In mechanism they are very alike, and both aim to protect the follicle while keeping whole-body effects low. But neither is approved for hair loss: clascoterone’s late-stage results are not yet fully published, and pyrilutamide’s trial results have been mixed. Neither adds hair or restores a bald area.
If you are weighing them today, the honest answer is that neither is an approved, proven medicine, so for most people the sensible route is the established, licensed options first, with both of these topical anti-androgens to watch. They are less two options to choose between than two candidates for the same job, and which, if either, is proven and approved will matter more than which looks better on paper. A clinician can help you decide what suits your hair loss now, and how a treatment like these might fit in once one is approved.
Frequently asked questions
Is pyrilutamide better than Breezula for hair loss?
It is too early to say, because both are unproven and they have not been compared head to head. The two are very similar, both topical anti-androgens that block DHT at the scalp, so neither has an obvious mechanistic advantage. If anything, clascoterone, the drug in Breezula, has the edge of an approved acne product and a clearer regulatory path, while pyrilutamide has been tested directly in hair-loss trials but with mixed results. Clascoterone’s fullest hair-loss results are also still unpublished, so the honest answer is that neither can be called better yet, and neither is an approved medicine for hair loss.
Are Breezula or pyrilutamide available for hair loss?
Neither is an approved medicine for hair loss. Clascoterone, the drug in Breezula, is approved only as a cream for acne; the higher-strength scalp version for hair loss is still in development. Pyrilutamide (KX-826) is not an approved medicine either, but the same compound is now sold over the counter as a cosmetic scalp solution, directly to consumers including in the UK, so pyrilutamide can be bought, though only as a cosmetic rather than a proven, approved medicine. It is the same substance whether sold as a cosmetic or studied as a drug: being sold as a cosmetic does not mean you are getting something different or weaker, only that it has not had the data to confirm it is effective. For most people the proven, licensed options remain the sensible first choice.
What is the difference between Breezula and pyrilutamide?
They are two topical anti-androgens that work in much the same way, both blocking DHT at the scalp without lowering it in the body. The main differences are their chemistry and their progress. Clascoterone, the drug in Breezula, is a steroidal molecule that is already approved as a cream for acne and is being developed as a stronger scalp solution for hair loss. Pyrilutamide, or KX-826, is a non-steroidal molecule developed directly for hair loss, with mixed trial results so far. So they are more alike than different: two versions of the same idea, neither yet approved for hair loss.
Do Breezula and pyrilutamide have fewer side effects than finasteride?
That is the hope behind both, but it is not yet settled for hair loss. Finasteride is a tablet that lowers DHT throughout the body, and a minority of men are concerned about its side effects. Both clascoterone and pyrilutamide are designed to act only where they are applied and to block DHT at the scalp without reducing it in the body, which is intended to keep whole-body effects low. Clascoterone’s acne form has a good safety record. But both are still in development for hair loss, and their long-term safety in that use is still being established, so any advantage over finasteride on side effects remains a reasonable expectation rather than a proven fact.
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