Combination of | |
---|---|
Estradiol valerate | Estrogen |
Gestonorone caproate | Progestogen |
Clinical data | |
Other names | EV/GC; EV/NOHPC; EV/OHNPC; SH-834; SH-8.0834 |
Routes of administration | Intramuscular injection |
Estradiol valerate/gestonorone caproate (EV/GC), known by the developmental code names SH-834 and SH-8.0834, is a high-dose combination medication of estradiol valerate (EV), an estrogen, and gestonorone caproate (GC; norhydroxyprogesterone caproate), a progestin, which was developed and studied by Schering in the 1960s and 1970s for potential use in the treatment of breast cancer in women but was ultimately never marketed. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] It contained 90 mg EV and 300 mg GC in each 3 mL of oil solution and was intended for use by intramuscular injection once a week. [3] [6] The combination has also been studied incidentally in the treatment of ovarian cancer. [8]
Both high-dose estrogens and high-dose progestogens have been found to be independently effective in the treatment of breast cancer in women. [6] [9] [10] High-dose estrogens show greater and more consistent effectiveness than high-dose progestogens for this indication. [6] [9] [11] The combination of an estrogen and progestogen, specifically estradiol benzoate and progesterone, was first studied in breast cancer in rodents and women by Charles Huggins and colleagues in 1962. [9] [6] [12] [11] Initially progesterone and hydroxyprogesterone caproate were used as the progestogen component in such studies; [6] [12] [13] the need for a more potent progestogen in such combinations led to the development of EV/GC, which was first reported in the treatment of breast cancer in women in 1966. [6] [1] GC is a relatively pure progestogen that has about 5- to 10-fold the progestogenic potency of hydroxyprogesterone caproate in humans. [14] [15] [16] New reports on EV/GC in breast cancer continued until 1976. [7]
Both progesterone and hydroxyprogesterone caproate, which are relatively pure progestogens, have been found to have modest or negligible effectiveness when employed by themselves in the treatment of breast cancer in women. [9] [11] [17] [18] [19] Conversely, progestins with off-target glucocorticoid and/or androgenic activity, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate, megestrol acetate, and 19-nortestosterone derivatives, have been found to have greater and more clinically useful effectiveness in comparison. [9] [10] This has raised the possibility that the beneficial therapeutic effects of progestogens in breast cancer may be more related to their off-target activity than their progestogenic activity. [9] In accordance, a study found that the effectiveness of an estrogen alone and the combination of EV/GC in the treatment of breast cancer in women was not significantly different. [7] This was the last study of EV/GC to be published. [7]
Progestogens, also sometimes written progestagens or gestagens, are a class of natural or synthetic steroid hormones that bind to and activate the progesterone receptors (PR). Progesterone is the major and most important progestogen in the body. The progestogens are named for their function in maintaining pregnancy, although they are also present at other phases of the estrous and menstrual cycles.
A progestogen, also referred to as a progestagen, gestagen, or gestogen, is a type of medication which produces effects similar to those of the natural female sex hormone progesterone in the body. A progestin is a synthetic progestogen. Progestogens are used most commonly in hormonal birth control and menopausal hormone therapy. They can also be used in the treatment of gynecological conditions, to support fertility and pregnancy, to lower sex hormone levels for various purposes, and for other indications. Progestogens are used alone or in combination with estrogens. They are available in a wide variety of formulations and for use by many different routes of administration. Examples of progestogens include natural or bioidentical progesterone as well as progestins such as medroxyprogesterone acetate and norethisterone.
Estradiol valerate (EV), sold for use by mouth under the brand name Progynova and for use by injection under the brand names Delestrogen and Progynon Depot among others, is an estrogen medication. It is used in hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and low estrogen levels, hormone therapy for transgender people, and in hormonal birth control. It is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer. The medication is taken by mouth or by injection into muscle or fat once every 1 to 4 weeks.
Drospirenone is a progestin and antiandrogen medication which is used in birth control pills to prevent pregnancy and in menopausal hormone therapy, among other uses. It is available both alone under the brand name Slynd and in combination with an estrogen under the brand name Yasmin among others. The medication is an analog of the drug spironolactone. Drospirenone is taken by mouth.
Gestonorone caproate, also known as gestronol hexanoate or norhydroxyprogesterone caproate and sold under the brand names Depostat and Primostat, is a progestin medication which is used in the treatment of enlarged prostate and cancer of the endometrium. It is given by injection into muscle typically once a week.
Dydrogesterone, sold under the brand name Duphaston among others, is a progestin medication which is used for a variety of indications, including threatened or recurrent miscarriage during pregnancy, dysfunctional bleeding, infertility due to luteal insufficiency, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, secondary amenorrhea, irregular cycles, premenstrual syndrome, and as a component of menopausal hormone therapy. It is taken by mouth.
Hydroxyprogesterone caproate, sold under the brand names Proluton and Makena among others, is a medication used to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women pregnant with one baby who have a history of spontaneous preterm birth. In March 2023, the manufacturer, Covis Pharma, agreed to withdraw the drug from the US market. The approvals of Makena and its generics were withdrawn by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2023.
Dienogest, sold under the brand name Visanne among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills and in the treatment of endometriosis. It is also used in menopausal hormone therapy and to treat heavy periods. Dienogest is available both alone and in combination with estrogens. It is taken by mouth.
Combined injectable contraceptives (CICs) are a form of hormonal birth control for women. They consist of monthly injections of combined formulations containing an estrogen and a progestin to prevent pregnancy.
Chlormadinone acetate (CMA), sold under the brand names Belara, Gynorelle, Lutéran, and Prostal among others, is a progestin and antiandrogen medication which is used in birth control pills to prevent pregnancy, as a component of menopausal hormone therapy, in the treatment of gynecological disorders, and in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions like enlarged prostate and prostate cancer in men and acne and hirsutism in women. It is available both at a low dose in combination with an estrogen in birth control pills and, in a few countries like France and Japan, at low, moderate, and high doses alone for various indications. It is taken by mouth.
Algestone acetophenide, also known more commonly as dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide (DHPA) and sold under the brand names Perlutal and Topasel among others, is a progestin medication which is used in combination with an estrogen as a form of long-lasting injectable birth control. It has also been used alone, but is no longer available as a standalone medication. DHPA is not active by mouth and is given once a month by injection into muscle.
Nomegestrol acetate (NOMAC), sold under the brand names Lutenyl and Zoely among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills, menopausal hormone therapy, and for the treatment of gynecological disorders. It is available both alone and in combination with an estrogen. NOMAC is taken by mouth. A birth control implant for placement under the skin was also developed but ultimately was not marketed.
Segesterone acetate (SGA), sold under the brand names Nestorone, Elcometrine, and Annovera, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control and in the treatment of endometriosis in the United States, Brazil, and other South American countries. It is available both alone and in combination with an estrogen. It is not effective by mouth and must be given by other routes, most typically as a vaginal ring or implant that is placed into fat.
Hydroxyprogesterone heptanoate (OHPH), also known as hydroxyprogesterone enanthate (OHPE) and sold under the brand names H.O.P., Lutogil A.P., and Lutogyl A.P. among others, is a progestin medication used for progestogenic indications. It has been formulated both alone and in together with estrogens, androgens/anabolic steroids, and other progestogens in several combination preparations. OHPH is given by injection into muscle at regular intervals.
A progestogen ester is an ester of a progestogen or progestin. The prototypical progestogen is progesterone, an endogenous sex hormone. Esterification is frequently employed to improve the pharmacokinetics of steroids, including oral bioavailability, lipophilicity, and elimination half-life. In addition, with intramuscular injection, steroid esters are often absorbed more slowly into the body, allowing for less frequent administration. Many steroid esters function as prodrugs.
Bromoketoprogesterone (BKP), also known as 9α-bromo-11-oxoprogesterone (BOP), and known by the tentative brand name Braxarone (Squibb), is an orally active progestin which does not appear to have been marketed.
High-dose estrogen therapy (HDE) is a type of hormone therapy in which high doses of estrogens are given. When given in combination with a high dose of progestogen, it has been referred to as pseudopregnancy. It is called this because the estrogen and progestogen levels achieved are in the range of the very high levels of these hormones that occur during pregnancy. HDE and pseudopregnancy have been used in medicine for a number of hormone-dependent indications, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and endometriosis, among others. Both natural or bioidentical estrogens and synthetic estrogens have been used and both oral and parenteral routes may be used.
Estradiol benzoate/progesterone (EB/P4), sold under the brand names Duogynon and Sistocyclin among others, is a combination medication of estradiol benzoate (EB), an estrogen, and progesterone (P4), a progestogen. It has been formulated both as short-acting oil solutions and long-acting microcrystalline aqueous suspensions and is given by injection into muscle either once or continuously at regular intervals.
Estradiol valerate/hydroxyprogesterone caproate (EV/OHPC), sold under the brand names Gravibinon and Injectable No. 1 among others, is a combined estrogen and progestogen medication which is used in the treatment of threatened miscarriage and other indications and as a form of combined injectable birth control to prevent pregnancy. It contains estradiol valerate (EV), an estrogen, and hydroxyprogesterone caproate (OHPC), a progestin. The medication is given by injection into muscle once a day to once a month depending on the indication.
Estradiol benzoate/hydroxyprogesterone caproate (EB/OHPC), sold under the brand name Primosiston among others, is a combined estrogen and progestogen medication which is used to treat gynecological disorders and habitual abortion. It contains estradiol benzoate (EB), an estrogen, and hydroxyprogesterone caproate (OHPC), a progestin. The medication is given by injection into muscle.
Progesterone in the Treatment of Advanced Tumours of the Breast. The clinical trial with a progestogen/oestrogen compound, Trial No. SH 834 has been continued. An assessment of its effectiveness in 25 patients with advanced cancer of the breast, of whom 8 were in a terminal stage of the disease and in almost all of whom other types of treatment had failed or become ineffective, has been made. In the group of 8 terminal cases only 2 showed a temporary improvement. Of the remaining 17 cases with treatment periods up to 10 months 16 are still alive; in 9 cases the results were good and in 7 of these, after other measures had failed, SH 834 brought about a temporary arrest of the disease with considerable, though incomplete, regression of the skin infiltrations and amelioration of the general condition and well-being of the patients.
Gestonorone caproate is a depot gestagen, five times more potent than 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate.
The preparations used were Proluton Depot (17a-hydroxy-progesterone caproate) and in 3 patients SH 5132 (17a-hydroxy-19-norprogesterone caproate); 100 mg of the latter corresponds to 1000 mg of Proluton Depot.
Thirteen patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus were treated for 21 days with 17alpha-hydroxy-progesterone-caproate (Primolut Depot®, Schering), 1000 mg daily, or 17alpha-hydroxy-19-nor-progesterone-caproate (Depostat®, Schering), 200 mg daily. These doses can be considered as equivalent.