Drug and therapeutics bulletin

Various estimates suggest that 6-44% of women of reproductive age have endometriosis, that is, functioning endometrial tissue lying outside its usual intrauterine location. Although this condition may be asymptomatic, common symptoms includ…

In this article we gave the cost of 6 months’ treatment with progestagens as that based on norethisterone. However, our main reference was to a comparative study in which 100mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate daily showed equivalent efficacy…

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues are now marketed in the UK for the treatment of patients with endometriosis. Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent disorder, and conventional medical treatments have relied on mechanisms tha…

A year ago we concluded that danazol is effective in relieving the symptoms of endometriosis, but is of less certain value in helping any associated infertility. 1

The indications for danazol (Danol - Winthrop) have widened and the dose regimens have changed since our last review. 1 Current indications include endometriosis, menorrhagia, benign cystic breast disease and premenstrual symptoms.

Danazol (Danol - Winthrop) is a semisynthetic steroid, derived from 17-α-ethinyl testosterone (ethisterone) which inhibits pituitary gonadotropin secretion, probably by inhibiting both synthesis and release. It has no oestrogenic or progest…