What do we know about 5-alpha reductase inhibitors?

Five-alpha reductase inhibitors — finasteride and dutasteride — are drug classes that have antiandrogenic properties. These drugs are commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved finasteride in 1991 for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and in 1997 for male androgenetic alopecia. In 2002, dutasteride was approved by the FDA only for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and is currently approved in Japan and South Korea for treating male androgenetic alopecia. The authors offer a comprehensive and up-to-date review on this drug’s efficacy and safety.

Keywords: Alopecia; Androgens; Finasteride; Secondary effect; Dutasteride; Alopecia/therapy