Dutasteride

Dutasteride is an oral synthetic 4-azasteroid commonly marketed under the trade name Avodart. It is a novel dual 5α-reductase inhibitor that works by blocking both isoforms of 5α-reductase enzymes in a potent, selective, and irreversible manner. Type I and II 5α-reductase enzymes convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a primary hormonal mediator that plays a role in the development and enlargement of the prostate gland. Dutasteride was approved by the FDA in 2001 for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men as monotherapy or in combination with the α-adrenergic antagonist tamsulosin to enhance the therapeutic response. Its clinical efficacy against benign prostate hyperplasia in male patients is comparable to that of finasteride, a specific type II 5α-reductase inhibitor. However, unlike finasteride, dutasteride is not yet indicated for the treatment of androgenic alopecia although it was demonstrated to be effective in several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in androgenetic alopecia.