What is the Origin of Oral Finasteride?

Finasteride was originally developed and approved in the late 1980s for the treatment of BPH, utilizing its ability to shrink the prostate gland by lowering intra-prostatic DHT levels. Its application for hair loss followed, based on the observation that the same mechanism could reduce DHT-mediated miniaturization of hair follicles on the scalp. The term "Oral" specifies the systemic delivery route, which leads to a substantial reduction in circulating DHT levels throughout the body.

What is the Mechanism of Oral Finasteride?

Once ingested, the drug is absorbed and circulated, where it binds irreversibly to the active site of the 5-AR enzyme. This binding effectively blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT. The resulting decrease in systemic DHT reduces the androgenic stimulation of hair follicles susceptible to balding and mitigates the proliferative effects of DHT on prostate tissue, thereby achieving its therapeutic effect.

Oral Finasteride ∞ Area

Oral Finasteride

Meaning

Oral Finasteride is a pharmaceutical compound administered via tablet that acts as a potent, competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase (5-AR), specifically targeting the Type II and Type III isoenzymes. Clinically, it is used at varying doses to manage benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to treat androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) by reducing the systemic and local conversion of testosterone to the more potent androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).