This is a list of progestogen esters , or esters of progestogens. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Unlike the case of testosterone and estradiol, progesterone cannot be esterified as it lacks hydroxyl groups, so all progestogen esters, with the exception of esters of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone like hydroxyprogesterone caproate, are esters of progestins (synthetic progestogens) and are non-bioidentical. In addition, whereas all androgen and estrogen esters are prodrugs of the parent compound, only some and not all progestogen esters act as prodrugs. Esters of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and 19-norprogesterone derivatives like hydroxyprogesterone caproate, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and nomegestrol acetate are active themselves and are not prodrugs, whereas esters of 19-nortestosterone derivatives like norethisterone acetate and norethisterone enanthate are not active themselves and are prodrugs.
The following major progestogen esters have been marketed:
And the following minor progestogen esters have been marketed:
The following veterinary-only progestogen esters have also been marketed:
The corticosteroid ester mometasone furoate (Asmanex, Elocom, Elocon, Elosalic, Nasonex), which is a 17α-hydroxyprogesterone derivative, also has very potent progestogenic activity, though it is not used as a progestogen and is instead used exclusively as a corticosteroid. [5]
The following progestogen esters have been marketed:
And the following veterinary-only progestogen esters have also been marketed:
The following progestogen esters have been marketed:
Many 19-nortestosterone androgen esters, such as nandrolone esters like nandrolone decanoate (Deca-Durabolin) and nandrolone phenpropionate (Durabolin), also have potent progestogenic activity.
Although not esters, the following progestogen ethers have been marketed:
Although not esters, the following progestogen cyclic ketals (cyclic acetals) have been marketed:
Although not esters, the following progestogen oximes have not been marketed:
Although not esters, the following progestogen oximes have been marketed:
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.
Norethisterone acetate (NETA), also known as norethindrone acetate and sold under the brand name Primolut-Nor among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills, menopausal hormone therapy, and for the treatment of gynecological disorders. The medication available in low-dose and high-dose formulations and is used alone or in combination with an estrogen. It is ingested orally.
Norethisterone, also known as norethindrone and sold under many brand names, is a progestin medication used in birth control pills, menopausal hormone therapy, and for the treatment of gynecological disorders. The medication is available in both low-dose and high-dose formulations and both alone and in combination with an estrogen. It is used by mouth or, as norethisterone enanthate, by injection into muscle.
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.
Norethisterone enanthate (NETE), also known as norethindrone enanthate, is a form of hormonal birth control which is used to prevent pregnancy in women. It is used both as a form of progestogen-only injectable birth control and in combined injectable birth control formulations. It may be used following childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion. The failure rate per year in preventing pregnancy for the progestogen-only formulation is 2 per 100 women. Each dose of this form lasts two months with only up to two doses typically recommended.
Quingestanol, also known as norethisterone 3-cyclopentyl enol ether, is a progestin of the 19-nortestosterone group which was never marketed. It is a prodrug of norethisterone. An acylated derivative, quingestanol acetate, is used as a pharmaceutical drug.
Quingestanol acetate, sold under the brand names Demovis and Pilomin among others, is a progestin medication which was used in birth control pills but is no longer marketed. It is taken by mouth.
Hydroxyprogesterone acetate (OHPA), sold under the brand name Prodox, is an orally active progestin related to hydroxyprogesterone caproate (OHPC) which has been used in clinical and veterinary medicine. It has reportedly also been used in birth control pills.
Anagestone acetate, sold under the brand names Anatropin and Neo-Novum, is a progestin medication which was withdrawn from medical use due to carcinogenicity observed in animal studies.
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.
Quingestrone, also known as progesterone 3-cyclopentyl enol ether (PCPE) and sold under the brand name Enol-Luteovis, is a progestin medication which was previously used in birth control pills in Italy but is now no longer marketed. It is taken by mouth.
Acetomepregenol (ACM), also known as mepregenol diacetate and sold under the brand name Diamol, is a progestin medication which is used in Russia for the treatment of gynecological conditions and as a method of birth control in combination with an estrogen. It has also been studied in the treatment of threatened abortion. It has been used in veterinary medicine as well. It has been marketed since at least 1981.
Progestogen-only injectable contraceptives (POICs) are a form of hormonal contraception and progestogen-only contraception that are administered by injection and providing long-lasting birth control. As opposed to combined injectable contraceptives, they contain only a progestogen without an estrogen, and include two progestin preparations:
Cymegesolate, also known as cypionyl megestrol acetate or as megestrol acetate 3β-cypionate, is a progestin medication which was never marketed. It was developed in China in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s for use as a hormonal contraceptive. The medication was formulated at a dose of 50–100 mg in combination with a "trace" dose of 0.25–0.5 mg quinestrol as a long-lasting, once-a-month combined oral contraceptive pill. This combination has been studied in 1,213 women across a total of 9,651 menstrual cycles, with contraceptive effectiveness of over 99.13% and "very few side effects." At the high dose, it showed an anovulation rate of only about 60%, and instead mediated its contraceptive effects via a marked anti-implantation effect.
Megestrol caproate, abbreviated as MGC, is a progestin medication which was never marketed. It was developed in Russia in 2002. In animals, MGC shows 10-fold higher progestogenic activity compared to progesterone when both are administered via subcutaneous injection. In addition, MGC has no androgenic, anabolic, or estrogenic activity. The medication was suggested as a potential contraceptive and therapeutic agent.
Progesterone 3-acetyl enol ether, also known as progesterone acetate, as well as 3-acetoxypregna-3,5-dien-20-one, is a progestin which was never marketed. It was reported to possess similar potency to progesterone and hydroxyprogesterone caproate in the rabbit endometrial carbonic anhydrase test, a bioassay of progestogenic activity. In addition, it was able to maintain pregnancy in animals. Progesterone 3-acetyl enol ether is closely related to quingestrone, which is also known as progesterone 3-cyclopentyl enol ether and was formerly marketed as an oral contraceptive.
Medroxyprogesterone caproate (MPC) is a progestin and a progestogen ester which was synthesized in 1958 but was never marketed. It has been confused with hydroxyprogesterone caproate (OHPC) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in a number of publications. In addition to MPA and OHPC, analogues of MPC include chlormadinone caproate, gestonorone caproate, megestrol caproate, and methenmadinone caproate.