What Do We Know About 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors?

Five years ago, a comprehensive review was conducted on the efficacy and safety of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, specifically finasteride and dutasteride. These drugs, which have antiandrogenic properties, are commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved finasteride in 1991 for benign prostatic hyperplasia and in 1997 for male androgenetic alopecia. Dutasteride was approved by the FDA in 2002 for benign prostatic hyperplasia and is approved in Japan and South Korea for treating male androgenetic alopecia.