Medroxyprogesterone

IUPAC: 17α -hydroxy- 6α - methylpregn -4-ene -3 ,20- dione

  • G03DA02
  • G03AC06
  • L02AB02

Progestins

Attention

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Medroxyprogesterone or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA ) is a synthetic progestin that is used to inhibit ovulation for contraception in the three- month injection.

Application

  • Ovulation inhibition ( suppression of the normal LH peak before ovulation ) as an intramuscular injection (3- month injection ) with 150 mg / 2 ml (as Depo -Provera )
  • Disturbance of follicular maturation
  • Disturbance of proliferation of progesterone - sensitive tissues: endometrium, Mom: for the treatment of endometrial cancer, breast cancer with initially 400 mg to 1000 mg of 400 mg / month / week thereafter, and endometriosis with 3 x 10 mg / day, for 90 days, beginning with day 1 of the cycle
  • Prostate cancer, with initially 500 mg, 2 times / week for 3 months
  • Increasing the viscosity of the cervical mucus ( barrier to sperm ), also approved in the UK in the therapy of renal cell carcinoma
  • Hormone replacement therapy with estrogens (10 mg / day in the last 14 days of the cycle)

(Source: British National Formula, September 2006, page 383, 464; http:www.bnf.org ).

Safety

The No Observed Effect Level ( NOEL ) of medroxyprogesterone is 30 g / day / kg body weight, the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI ) is 18 g / day / kg body weight.

Use in animals

For use in food-producing animals, it is not allowed in Germany. A health assessment of potential residues in food by zootechnical use in sheep by the EU led to the result that for MPA no maximum level has to be determined on the basis of safety, if it is used intravaginally and done for zootechnical purposes only.

In dogs and cats, the drug can be used for demolition of heat or heat cycle and to prevent pregnancy.

Other Information

In summer 2002 it was announced that a pharmaceutical manufacturer industrial waste that contained medroxyprogesterone acetate, had passed on to an environmental technology company. A Belgian organic sugar producer in turn had worked for two years this material in animal feed and sold to Germany. Residues of MPA were detected in glucose syrup of the affected company and pork.

CAS registry number PubChem Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System DrugBank Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC) Progestogen Hormone replacement therapy (menopause)
561377
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