Propecia Description

Propecia (finasteride), a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound, is a specific inhibitor of steroid Type II 5(alpha)-reductase, an intracellular enzyme that converts the androgen testosterone into 5(alpha)-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Finasteride is 4-azaandrost-1-ene-17-carboxamide, N -(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-oxo-,(5(alpha),17(beta))-. The empirical formula of finasteride is C ₂₃ H ₃₆ N ₂ O ₂ and its molecular weight is 372.55. Its structural formula is:

Finasteride is a white crystalline powder with a melting point near 250°C. It is freely soluble in chloroform and in lower alcohol solvents but is practically insoluble in water.

Propecia tablets for oral administration are film-coated tablets that contain 1 mg of finasteride and the following inactive ingredients: lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, docusate sodium, magnesium stearate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 2910, hydroxypropyl cellulose, titanium dioxide, talc, yellow ferric oxide, and red ferric oxide.