The role of steroidal
inhibitors of androgen biosynthesis as potential weapons in the treatment of prostatic diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer will be reviewed. Two enzymes have been targeted in the development of
inhibitors that potentially could be
useful in the management of such conditions.
5¦
Á-
Reductase is primarily of interest in benign prostatic disease, though some role in the chemoprevention of prostatic carcinoma have been considered, whereas the 17¦Á-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17) enzyme is of interest in the treatment of malignant disease. An overview of the main achievements obtained during the past years will be presented, however special focus will be made on steroidal molecules that reached clinical trials or have been commercially launched. Relevant examples of such drugs are finasteride, dutasteride, abiraterone acetate and galeterone (TOK-001, formerly known as VN/124-1).
This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ¡°Synthesis and biological testing of steroid derivatives as inhibitors¡±.