Finasteride

Oral
Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Oral
Male pattern baldness

May be taken with or without food.

Women, childn and adolescents. Pregnancy and lactation.

Men at risk of obstructive uropathy. Hepatic impairment.

Sexual dysfunction (e.g. decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorders including reduced vol of ejaculate), gynaecomastia, testicular pain, hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. swelling of lips and face, pruritus, urticaria, rashes, angioedema); decreased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels; depression, male breast cancer, orgasm disorders.

PO: X

Women who are or may become pregnant should avoid contact w/ crushed or broken tablets.

Monitor prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

May mask serum markers (PSA) for prostate cancer.

Description: Finasteride is a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound and a competitive inhibitor of both tissue and hepatic 5α-reductase. This results in inhibition of the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and markedly suppresses serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels. In male pattern baldness, finasteride decreases scalp DHT levels to levels found in hairy scalp. Reduced serum DHT, increases hair regrowth and slows hair loss.
Pharmacokinetics:
Absorption: Absorbed from the GI tract. Bioavailability: Approx 80%. Time to peak plasma concentration: 1-2 hr.
Distribution: Crosses the blood-brain barrier and distributed into seminal fluid. Volume of distribution: 76 L. Plasma protein binding: Approx 90%.
Metabolism: Undergoes hepatic metabolism primarily by CYP3A4 isoenzyme.
Excretion: Via urine (39%) and faeces (57%) as metabolites. Terminal half-life: Approx 6 hr.

Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Finasteride, CID=57363, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Finasteride (accessed on Jan. 21, 2020)

Store at 20-25°C. Protect from light.

Drugs for Bladder & Prostate Disorders / Other Dermatologicals

Anon. Finasteride. AHFS Clinical Drug Information [online]. Bethesda, MD. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. https://www.ahfscdi.com. Accessed 12/11/2014.

Anon. Finasteride. Lexicomp Online. Hudson, Ohio. Wolters Kluwer Clinical Drug Information, Inc. https://online.lexi.com. Accessed 12/11/2014.

Buckingham R (ed). Finasteride. Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference [online]. London. Pharmaceutical Press. https://www.medicinescomplete.com. Accessed 12/11/2014.

Finasteride Tablet, Film-coated (Accord Healthcare, Inc.). DailyMed. Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/. Accessed 12/11/2014.