A drug used to treat hair loss in men carries a rare risk of suicidal thoughts, the European Union's drug regulator has found, EuroNews reported.

The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) safety committee said it had reviewed 313 reports of suicidal thoughts among people taking finasteride, which can stimulate hair growth and prevent hair loss in men aged 18 to 41.

Finasteride is sold in 1 mg tablets under brand names such as Propecia. Meanwhile, 5 mg tablets are used to treat enlarged prostates, which can cause problems with urination.

Most reports of suicidal thoughts have come from people taking the 1 mg tablets, but "the frequency of this side effect is unknown," the EMA concludes.

Finasteride, which is already available with warnings about mood changes such as depression and suicidal thoughts, will remain on the market as the safety committee concluded that its benefits outweigh the risks.

However, the 1 mg tablets will now come with a card reminding people of the risks and advising them how to deal with side effects, which can include reduced libido or erectile dysfunction, the EMA said.

The agency said that people who experience mood changes while taking finasteride 1 mg should stop taking it and seek medical advice.

The warnings will also be added to the drug dutasteride, which is another treatment for prostate hyperplasia.

The EMA's safety committee has no evidence linking the drug to suicidal thoughts, but since dutasteride works in the same way as finasteride, the information will be added as a precaution.

The agency noted that there were only a few hundred cases of suicidal thoughts among approximately 270 million patients taking finasteride and 82 million taking dutasteride. | BGNES