5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors: What's New?
January 2003
in “
Current opinion in urology
”
TLDR A new drug, dutasteride, is at least as effective as the older drug, finasteride, for treating enlarged prostate and may have additional uses.
The review discussed the advancements in the use of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Finasteride, which targets the type 2 isoenzyme, had been the sole inhibitor for a decade. Dutasteride, a new drug inhibiting both type 1 and type 2 isoenzymes, showed greater and faster suppression of dihydrotestosterone, potentially offering better clinical outcomes. The Medical Therapy of Prostatic Symptoms (MTOPS) trial demonstrated that combination therapy was more effective than monotherapy in improving symptoms and preventing disease progression. Additionally, finasteride was found to reduce BPH-related haematuria, and the potential chemopreventive role of these inhibitors in prostate cancer was under investigation. The review concluded that the roles of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors in BPH treatment had been clarified and extended, with dual isoenzyme inhibition soon to be available.
