Additional Information
Dutasteride is marketed under the brand name Avodart and is available as 0.5 mg oral capsules for once-daily administration 1. The medication is a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound that functions as a dual inhibitor of both type 1 and type 2 5-alpha-reductase enzymes 1, 2.
FDA-Approved Indications
Dutasteride (Avodart) is approved for:
- Treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate
- Improvement of urinary symptoms
- Reduction of risk of acute urinary retention
- Reduction of risk of need for BPH-related surgery 1, 2
Clinical Evidence
The medication has demonstrated significant efficacy in landmark trials including the CombAT study, where dutasteride combined with tamsulosin showed superior outcomes compared to monotherapy, reducing the relative risk of acute urinary retention by 68% and BPH-related surgery by 71% at 4 years 4.
Important caveat: While dutasteride is being investigated for other uses including androgenetic alopecia treatment 5, 6, 7, the only FDA-approved indication remains BPH treatment under the brand name Avodart.