Dutasteride (Avodart): new 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor for treating BPH. (Medication Minute).

Urologic Nursing,  June, 2003  by Gaines, Kaye K.

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Avodart[R] (dutasteride, GlaxoSmithKline) was approved in October 2002 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is a new 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor that is similar to finasteride, but with a potentially notable difference. Both finasteride and dutasteride inhibit 5-aipha-reductase; 5-aipha-reductase facilitates conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a key enzyme in the development and growth rate of prostate hyperplasia.

Finasteride (which has been widely studied and has been available in the ...

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