Pharmacogenetic Analysis of Human Steroid 5α Reductase Type II: Comparison of Finasteride and Dutasteride

June 2005 in “ Journal of Molecular Endocrinology ”

Nick M. Makridakis, Juergen K. V. Reichardt

finasteride dutasteride steroid 5α-reductase type II pharmacogenetics enzyme variants Propecia Avodart

From the encyclopedia

Finasteride →

Frontline, gold standard treatment for combatting androgenic alopecia

Dutasteride →

Heavy duty finasteride that comes with higher risks

Studysummary This study found that both finasteride and dutasteride act as slow, time-dependent inhibitors of steroid 5α-reductase type II, with dutasteride being more efficient, influenced by the enzyme's genetic variants. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This study analyzed the pharmacogenetics of finasteride and dutasteride, two drugs used to treat prostatic diseases. The study found that both drugs are slow, time-dependent inhibitors of steroid 5α-reductase type II, with dutasteride being a more efficient inhibitor than finasteride for most enzyme variants. However, there is significant pharmacogenetic variation for both drugs, which should be taken into account when designing treatment protocols. The study suggests that pharmacogenetic analysis could be used to determine which drug would be most effective for individual patients.

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Research cited in this study

4 / 4 results

research Marked Suppression of Dihydrotestosterone in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Dutasteride, a Dual 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

408 citations , May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism”

This study found that dutasteride more effectively reduced serum dihydrotestosterone levels than finasteride in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

research PNU 157706, A Novel Dual Type I and II 5α-Reductase Inhibitor

42 citations , February 1998 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology”

This study found that PNU 157706 is a highly potent inhibitor of human 5α-reductase enzymes, showing a stronger and longer-lasting antiprostatic effect in rats compared to finasteride.

research 5α-Reductase Inhibitors/Finasteride: A Safe and Effective Treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

24 citations , January 1996 in “The Prostate”

This study demonstrated that 12 months of 5 mg daily finasteride treatment reduced prostate volume, dihydrotestosterone, and prostate-specific antigen levels, while improving urinary flow rates and symptom scores in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients.

research Finasteride: A Slow-Binding 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor

70 citations , June 1993 in “Biochemistry”

This study found that the binding of finasteride to the enzyme 5a-reductase occurs at a slower rate than previously assumed, complicating the estimation of its real inhibitory constant.