What is Dutasteride And Avodart and How Does It Help Treat Hair Loss?
Dutasteride is a so-called second generation dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitor produced by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. Like Finasteride (Propecia), it was developed to treat the enlargement of the prostate gland in men known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). As was the case during Merck’s Finasteride testing back in the 1990s, Dutasteride’s beneficial effects on hair loss became apparent during GlaxoSmithKline’s clinical trials of the drug as a treatment for BPH. Dutasteride was granted FDA approval as a drug to treat BPH and appeared on the market in 2003 branded as Avodart. For the purposes of treating BPH, the recommended dose is a 0.5 mg soft gel capsule once daily. It is important to note that at this stage, Dutasteride has not been approved by the FDA for the purposes of treating hair loss. If this ever occurs, like Finasteride it will only be approved for use by men. In a repeat of the history of Finasteride’s development as a hair loss drug, GlaxoSmithKli
