Superactive Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists

Superactive GnRH agonists represent a new class of pharmacologic agents that inhibit reproductive function in both men and women when administered chronically. These hormonal drugs are being tested extensively as both male and female contraceptive agents, as a treatment for prostate cancer, and as a new treatment for idiopathic precocious puberty. Other potential uses include treatment for endometriosis, hirsutism, polycystic ovarian disease, and severe intractable androgen-related acne. This chapter reviews the effects of GnRH agonists on gonadotropin and steroid hormone secretion in both men and women, and assesses the potential of these agents in the varied clinical uses delineated above.