Flutamide

Flutamide is an androgen receptor blocker drug produced by Schering-Plough under the brand name Eulexin.  It is also known as Flutamin.  It is a non-steroidal anti-androgen drug, which is primarily used to treat prostate cancer, although it is also sometimes used in the treatment of PCOS and other conditions.

It competes with both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone for binding to androgen receptors.  When a receptor is occupied by flutamide, it cannot be affected by testosterone.

Common side effects include gastrointestinal problems and liver injury which is reversible when the drug is discontinued.  A newer drug in this class, bicalutamide, is becoming more popular due to less side-effects.

125 – 250 mg daily appears to be a safe dose for long-term treatment of the androgenic effects of PCOS such as hirsutism, acne and hair loss.

More Information:

Dikensoy E, Balat O, Pence S, Akcali C, & Cicek H. (2009) The risk of hepatotoxicity during long-term and low-dose flutamide treatment in hirsutism. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 279(3), 321-7. PMID: 18607612