Avodart | Dutasteride

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline.

Avodart web site.

Active Ingredient: Dutasteride.

Dosage: 0.5mg/day.

This drug is marketed in Europe under the name Avolve.

Everything that was said until now was almost 100% accurate. We explained that the Dehydro-Testosterone hormone that harms hair follicles is synthesized when the 5-Alpha- Reductas enzyme reacts with testosterone. The one thing that wasn't fully accurate, is that in fact, there are two types of the 5AR enzyme, type I and type II. Both of them react with testosterone to produce Dehydro-Testosterone. Around 70% of the 5AR enzymes are of type II and the rest are Type I. The Finasteride in Propecia and Proscar binds only to type II enzymes thus it can only prevent synthesis of around 70% of Dehydro-Testosterone. Most of the Dehydro-Testosterone in the hair follicles is believed to originate from type II enzymes, so apparently Finasteride does all that is needed. Some experts believe that Dehydro-Testosterone originating form type I enzymes is present in close vicinity to the hair follicles, close enough to have an effect on them too. Dutasteride was developed to bind to both types of the enzyme and therefore prevents the syntheses of nearly all Dehydro-Testosterone (above 90%). As expected, Dutasteride's success rates are higher then the ones of Finasteride.

Dutasteride is a drug intended for the treatment of BPH (enlargement of the prostate gland), but is also effective for combating Hair Loss for obvious reasons. A drug intended for treatment of Male Pattern Baldness based on Dutasteride reached a very advanced development stage. In 2002 a "phase II" clinical trial (involving a few dozens of people) was completed and regarded as highly successful. In November 2002 a "phase III" clinical trial (involving a few thousands of people, the last one before the drug can go on the market) was stopped. Pfizer has not issued an official statement explaining why, but speculations suggest that it was probably side effects related. As a drug designed to treat BPH, Avodart is intended for use by men in their 50's at the least. Male Pattern Baldness drugs are designed for younger men, even in their early 20's, for whom sexual related side effects are much more crucial. The current status of this drug's development is unknown.