New Drugs: Dutasteride
August 2009
in “
Australian Prescriber
”
TLDR Dutasteride is approved to help manage prostate enlargement.
Dutasteride, marketed as Avodart by GlaxoSmithKline, was approved for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It functioned as a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, similar to finasteride, by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, which was believed to stimulate prostate growth. While surgery was the definitive treatment for BPH, dutasteride offered a drug-based management option. The document noted that initial comments on newly approved drugs like dutasteride were tentative due to limited data and experience, and emphasized the importance of obtaining comprehensive information before prescribing.
