User:Mr. Ibrahem/Finasteride
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Finasteride, sold under the brand names Proscar and Propecia, among others, is a medication mainly used to treat an enlarged prostate or hair loss in men.[2] It can also be used to treat excessive hair growth in women and as a part of hormone therapy for transgender women.[3][4] It is taken by mouth.[2]
![]() | |
![]() | |
Clinical data | |
---|---|
Trade names | Proscar, Propecia, others |
Other names | MK-906; YM-152; L-652,931; 17β-(N-tert-Butylcarbamoyl)-4-aza-5α-androst-1-en-3-one; N-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)-3-oxo-4-aza-5α-androst-1-ene-17β-carboxamide |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a698016 |
License data |
|
Pregnancy category |
|
Routes of administration | By mouth |
Drug class | 5α-Reductase inhibitor |
Legal status | |
Legal status | |
Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | 65%[1] |
Protein binding | 90%[1] |
Metabolism | Liver (CYP3A4, ALDH)[1] |
Elimination half-life | Adults: 5–6 hours[1] Elderly: >8 hours[1] |
Excretion | Feces: 57%[1] Urine: 40%[1] |
Identifiers | |
| |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C23H36N2O2 |
Molar mass | 372.553 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| |
| |
(verify) |
Side effects from finasteride are rare,[5] however some men experience sexual dysfunction, depression, and breast enlargement.[6][7] In some men, sexual dysfunction may persist after stopping the medication.[8][9] It may also increase the risk of certain forms of prostate cancer.[7] Finasteride is a 5α-reductase inhibitor and therefore an antiandrogen.[10] It works by decreasing the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by about 70%, including in the prostate gland and the scalp.[2]
Finasteride was patented in 1984 and approved for medical use in 1992.[11] It is available as a generic medication.[12] It is not expensive.[13] A month supply in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about £0.90 per month as of 2019.[14] In the United States, the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$2.30.[15] In 2017, it was the 86th-most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than nine million prescriptions.[16][17]