Steroidal antiandrogen | |
---|---|
Drug class | |
![]() Cyproterone acetate, the most widely employed steroidal antiandrogen. | |
Class identifiers | |
Synonyms | Steroidal androgen receptor antagonists |
Use | Prostate cancer; Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Acne; Hirsutism; Seborrhea; Pattern hair loss; Hyperandrogenism; Transgender hormone therapy; Hypersexuality; Paraphilias; Male precocious puberty; Priapism |
ATC code | G03HA |
Biological target | Androgen receptor |
Chemical class | Steroidal |
Legal status | |
In Wikidata |
A steroidal antiandrogen (SAA) is an antiandrogen with a steroidal chemical structure.[1][2][3] They are typically antagonists of the androgen receptor (AR) and act both by blocking the effects of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and by suppressing gonadal androgen production.[2][3] SAAs lower concentrations of testosterone through simulation of the negative feedback inhibition of the hypothalamus.[4] SAAs are used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions in men and women, and are also used in veterinary medicine for the same purpose.[2] They are the converse of nonsteroidal antiandrogens (NSAAs), which are antiandrogens that are not steroids and are structurally unrelated to testosterone.[2][3]