Skip to main content

17-Alpha-Alkylation

Meaning

17-Alpha-Alkylation is chemical modification adding an alkyl group to the 17-alpha position of a steroid. This structural change protects synthetic steroid hormones from rapid hepatic metabolism, enhancing their oral bioavailability. Without this alteration, orally administered steroids would be largely inactivated by the liver’s first-pass effect, preventing systemic therapeutic concentrations.