COMBINATION OF AN ANTIANDROGEN AND A 5α-REDUCTASE INHIBITOR: A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS TOTAL ANDROGEN BLOCKADE?
March 1991
in “
Endocrinology
”
TLDR Using two drugs together, Flutamide and 4-MA, is more effective for blocking male hormones than using each one alone.
The 1991 study investigated the effects of combining an antiandrogen, Flutamide, with a 5α-reductase inhibitor, 4-MA, on androgen blockade, particularly for prostate cancer treatment. Using castrated male Sprague-Dawley rats, the research found that the combined treatment resulted in a significant additive effect, with a 95% reduction in ventral prostate weight and a 61% decrease in prostatic binding protein mRNA levels. These findings suggest that the drug combination could enhance therapy for conditions requiring effective inhibition of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), such as prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, acne, seborrhea, and hirsutism. The study concluded that while each drug partially inhibits androgen effects individually, their combined use achieves a more comprehensive androgen blockade.
