"Clinically proven"
"Clinically proven" has no formal definition under UK MHRA or ASA rules. In medicines advertising it must be backed by replicable peer-reviewed clinical evidence; in supplement and cosmetic marketing it is much looser. The ASA CAP Code requires any "clinically proven" claim to be substantiated.
Full definition
The phrase "clinically proven" is widely used in hair-loss marketing for both POMs and supplements. The ASA CAP Code (rule 3.7) requires marketers to hold documentary evidence to substantiate efficacy claims. For UK-licensed POMs (e.g. finasteride 1 mg, topical minoxidil 2 and 5 percent solutions), the claim is supportable because the products carry an MHRA marketing authorisation based on phase III clinical trials. For supplements, "clinically proven" frequently appears alongside small studies, in-house testing, or studies conducted on a different formulation than the product sold, the claim is not invalid per se, but must be substantiated specifically and may attract ASA scrutiny.
What it does not mean
"Clinically proven" does NOT mean MHRA-approved as a medicine; does NOT necessarily mean the product itself has been trialled; does NOT mean the claim has been independently reviewed. It is a marketing phrase, not a regulatory category.
Examples in use
Honest use
"Finasteride 1 mg is licensed in the UK for male pattern hair loss with efficacy demonstrated in randomised controlled trials (Kaufman 1998)."
Common misuse
"Our hair-growth supplement is clinically proven." (This is the pattern that attracts ASA substantiation challenges.)
UK regulatory source
ASA CAP Code 3.7 (substantiation); MHRA Blue Guide on medicines advertising