PROSCAR ® is a Finasteride-based drug
THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Testosterone 5 alpha reductase inhibitors
Indications PROSCAR ® - Finasteride
PROSCAR ® is used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, with the therapeutic goal of reducing glandular volume, improving urinary flow and associated symptoms often due to surgery.
Mechanism of action PROSCAR ® - Finasteride
PROSCAR ® is a particularly well-known drug in the urological field, whose therapeutic efficacy is linked to the presence of finasteride. This complex molecule of synthetic origin is in fact able to inhibit the enzyme testosterone 5 alpha reductase, responsible for the conversion of testosterone into its most active form from the androgenizing point of view known as dihydrotestosterone.
The biological efficacy of this active ingredient in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia is to be found in the hyperstimulating effects of dihydrotestosterone on the prostate gland, therefore in the ability of finasteride to inhibit the aforementioned conversion, saving the prostate from the "androgenic insult".
The same mechanism of action could be useful, as recent scientific evidence shows, in combating hair loss in the course of androgenetic alopecia, where the action of dihydrotestosterone tends to concentrate mainly on the hair follicle of the scalp.
The aforementioned therapy is particularly easy given the pharmacokinetic properties of finasteride, which allow it to be taken simply orally.
Studies carried out and clinical efficacy
1. FINASTERIDE AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA
J Dermatol. 2011 Aug; 38: 773-7.
Oral finasteride improved the quality of life of androgenetic alopecia patients.
Yamazaki M, Miyakura T, Uchiyama M, Hobo A, Irisawa R, Tsuboi R.
Androgenetic alopecia is a systemic disease characterized by progressive hair loss, which compromises the quality of life of patients, subject to anxiety about their condition. This study demonstrates how finasteride treatment can improve the quality of life of these patients ( measured through specific evaluation scales) although the drug does not act on the psychological aspect but on the skin symptoms.
2. FINASTERIDE AND SPERMATOGENESIS
Fertil Steril. 2011 Apr; 95: 1786.e9-11. Epub 2010 Dec 30.
Finasteride-associated male infertility.
Chiba K, Yamaguchi K, Li F, Ando M, Fujisawa M.
Study describing the need to discontinue finasteride therapy in patients attempting to have children, given the ability of the active substance to reduce spermatogenesis, quality and quantity of spermatozoa.
3. THE COMBINED TREATMENT IN THE "PROSTATIC ADENOMA
Urology. 2009 Sep-Oct;: 40-5.
Efficacy of combined treatment of large prostatic adenoma with doxasozine and finasteride.
Tarasov NI, Izmaĭlov RI.
The combined treatment of prostate adenoma with finasteride and doxasozine seems particularly effective in reducing the symptoms associated with this condition, for example by facilitating emptying of the bladder.
Method of use and dosage
PROSCAR ®
Tablets containing 5 mg of finasteride:
the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia involves taking one tablet a day, regardless of meals, for at least six months.
It is useful to remember that the correct definition of the dosage and the dosage schedule is up to the doctor, after having subjected the patient to a careful medical examination.
PROSCAR ® Warnings - Finasteride
The administration of finasteride must be preceded by a careful medical check to evaluate the prescribing appropriateness and to ascertain the clinical picture of the patient.
The need for a differential diagnosis between benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer is necessary before starting therapy and during the therapeutic process, considering that finasteride could reduce plasma PSA concentrations, making the diagnosis more complex.
PROSCAR ® contains lactose, therefore its intake is contraindicated in patients with galactose intolerance, lactase enzyme deficiency and glucose-galactose malabsorption.
PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING
PROSCAR ® is a drug indicated for the exclusive treatment of male pathologies.
The use of finasteride during pregnancy could compromise the normal development of the male genital organs and the relative reproductive capacity of the unborn child.
Interactions
The hepatic metabolism to which finasteride is subjected exposes the patient to potential clinically relevant drug interactions.
More precisely, the concomitant intake of inhibitors / inducers of the cytochrome CYP3A4 (enzyme responsible for the metabolism of finasteride), could alter the normal pharmacokinetic profile of finasteride by varying its blood concentrations and its therapeutic efficacy.
Therefore it would be advisable to consult your doctor before undertaking the simultaneous intake of other drugs.
Contraindications PROSCAR ® - Finasteride
The use of PROSCAR ® is contraindicated in patients suffering from severe liver disease or hypersensitivity to the active ingredient or to one of its excipients.
Undesirable Effects - Side Effects
Although different clinical trials and careful post-marketing monitoring support the good tolerability of finasteride therapy, the assumption of this principle is often associated with side effects, closely related to the biological role of this molecule such as:
impotence, decreased ejaculate volume, decreased libido, skin changes such as rash and urticaria, increased breast tenderness associated with tenderness.
Fortunately, the aforementioned reactions are limited to the treatment period and therefore easily reversible.
Note
PROSCAR ® can only be sold under medical prescription.
The information on PROSCAR ® - Finasteride published on this page may be out of date or incomplete. For a correct use of this information, see the Disclaimer and useful information page.
