Hair Loss News

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa., PRNewswire/ — Parents, pediatricians, and kids will be happy to learn that a remarkable non-toxic, insecticide-free treatment for head lice is closer to being available. Summers Laboratories has completed three phase III studies and is preparing for NDA submission of its patented lice asphyxiator to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval as a prescription head lice treatment.

In the recently completed phase III studies 251 primary subjects were treated with Summers’ Lice Asphyxiator. After the last of two treatments called for in the protocols, 230 subjects (91.6%) were treatment successes. These numbers were consistent with efficacy in phase II studies.

Summers Laboratories Lice Asphyxiator is an elegant, pleasant scented emulsion with the consistency of hair conditioner. Investigators reported Lice Asphyxiator was well tolerated and subjects had favorable comments on how their hair felt after treatment.

Summers’ Lice Asphyxiator consists of a simple mixture of common dermatological and cosmetic ingredients. Lice require oxygen to live and have developed sophisticated breathing apparatus called spiracles. They can close their spiracles and “hold their breath”, going into a sort of suspended animation for many hours. This is why other asphyxiating treatments like olive oil and even petroleum jelly yield only limited success. Summers Labs’ novel, patented treatment prevents lice from closing their spiracles, and then clogs the spiracles, quickly asphyxiating the lice.

Studies show that a 10- minute treatment is all that is required to asphyxiate lice with Lice Asphyxiator. A second treatment is performed in approximately a week to kill any lice that hatch from nits after the first treatment. In addition to having a pleasant scent, Lice Asphyxiator is easily rinsed after treatment. Subjects have reported that it left their hair feeling as if they have used a salon hair conditioner.

Summers is preparing to market Lice Asphyxiator primarily to pediatricians.