Abstract
Testosterone undecanoate has been available on the market for more than 20 years. This testosterone ester is used worldwide for oral treatment of male hypogonadism. So far, testosterone undecanoate has been dissolved in oleic acid, leading to inconvenient storage conditions. It will now be available in a new formulation with castor oil and propylene glycol laurate instead of oleic acid, thus improving storage conditions markedly (stable at room temperature for approximately 3 years). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies have demonstrated bioequivalence of the old and the new formulation of testosterone undecanoate. Therefore, the results of studies that were performed with the old formulation can be transferred to the clinical use of the new formulation. Controlled studies have shown its efficacy in the treatment of symptoms associated with reduced serum testosterone levels. In these cases testosterone undecanoate improves bone mineral density, quality of life, muscle mass, libido and mood. Further studies will help evaluate the efficacy and safety of the new formulation in the treatment of elderly men with late-onset hypogonadism.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdelmassih R, Dhont M, Comhaire F (1992) Pilot study with 120 mg Andriol treatment for couples with a low fertilization rate during in-vitro fertilization. Hum Reprod 7:267–268
Albanese A, Kewley GD, Long A, Pearl KN, Robins DG, Stanhope R (1994) Oral treatment for constitutional delay of growth and puberty in boys: a randomised trial of an anabolic steroid or testosterone undecanoate. Arch Dis Child 71:315–317
Anawalt BD, Amory JK, Wang C, Swerdloff RS, Dobs AS, Meikle AW, Elbers JMH, Houwing NS (2002) A pharmacokinetic study of oral testosterone undecanoate (Org 538). J Androl [Suppl]: 37
Bagchus WM, Mink CPA, Maris F, Houwing NS (2001) Bioequivalence of Andriol® and Andriol® Testocaps™. Aging Male 4:259
Bagchus WM, Hust R, Maris F, Schnabel PG, Houwing NS (2003) Important effect of food on the bioavailability of oral testosterone undecanoate. Pharmacotherapy 23:319–325
Boyanov MA, Boneva Z, Christov VG (2003) Testosterone supplementation in men with type 2 diabetes, visceral obesity and partial androgen deficiency. Aging Male 6:1–7
Brown DC, Butler GE, Kelnar CJ, Wu FC (1995) A double blind, placebo controlled study of the effects of low dose testosterone undecanoate on the growth of small for age, prepubertal boys. Arch Dis Child 73:131–135
Butler GE, Sellar RE, Walker RF, Hendry M, Kelnar CJ, Wu FC (1992) Oral testosterone undecanoate in the management of delayed puberty in boys: pharmacokinetics and effects on sexual maturation and growth. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 75:37–44
Comhaire F (1990) Treatment of idiopathic testicular failure with high-dose testosterone undecanoate: a double-blind pilot study. Fertil Steril 54:689–693
Comhaire F, Schoonjans F, Abdelmassih R, Gordts S, Campo R, Dhont M, Milingos S, Gerris J (1995) Does treatment with testosterone undecanoate improve the in-vitro fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa in patients with idiopathic testicular failure? (results of a double blind study). Hum Reprod 10:2600–2602
Conway AJ, Boylan LM, Howe C, Ross G, Handelsman DJ (1988) Randomized clinical trial of testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men. Int J Androl 11:247–264
Cutolo M, Balleari E, Giusti M, Intra E, Accardo S (1991) Androgen replacement therapy in male patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 34:1–5
Geurts TBP, Coelingh Bennink HJT (2000) Testosterone replacement therapy—testosterone undecanoate (Andriol®). J Urol Urogynaekol 1[Special Edition]: 24–35
Gooren LJG (1994) A ten-year safety study of the oral androgen testosterone undecanoate. J Androl 15:212–215
Gregoriou O, Papadias C, Gargaropoulos A, Konidaris S, Kontogeorgi Z, Kalampokas E (1993) Treatment of idiopathic infertility with testosterone undecanoate. A double blind study. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 20:9–12
Hajjar RR, Kaiser FE, Morley JE (1997) Outcomes of long-term testosterone replacement in older hypogonadal males: a retrospective analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82:3793–3796
Horst HJ, Höltje WJ, Dennis M, Coert A, Geelen J, Voigt KD (1976) Lymphatic absorption and metabolism of orally administered testosterone undecanoate in man. Klin Wochenschr 54:875–879
Jeantils V, Nguyen G, Bacle F, Thomas M, Krivitsky A (1993) Weight gain under testosterone undecanoate in AIDS. Therapie 48:71–72
Jockenhovel F, Bullmann C, Schubert M, Vogel E, Reinhardt W, Reinwein D, Muller-Wieland D, Krone W (1999) Influence of various modes of androgen substitution on serum lipids and lipoproteins in hypogonadal men. Metabolism 48:590–596
Kalinchenko SY, Kozlow GI, Gontcharow, Katsiya GV (2003) Oral testosterone undecanoate reverses erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus in patients failing on sildenafil citrate therapy alone. Aging Male 6:94–99
Kloer H, Hoogen H, Nieschlag E (1980) Trial of high-dose testosterone undecanoate in treatment of male infertility. Int J Androl 3:121–129
Li JY, Zhu JC, Dou JT, Bai WJ, Deng SM, Li M, Huang W, Jin H (2002) Effects of androgen supplementation therapy on partial androgen deficiency in the aging male: a preliminary study. Aging Male 5:47–51
Luisi M, Franchi F (1980) Double-blind group comparative study of testosterone undecanoate and mesterolone in hypogonadal male patients. J Endocrinol Invest 3:305–308
Marin P, Holmang S, Jonsson L, Sjostrom L, Kvist H, Holm G, Lindstedt G, Bjorntorp P (1992) The effects of testosterone treatment on body composition and metabolism in middle-aged obese men. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 16:991–997
Morales A, Lunenfeld B (2002) Investigation, treatment and monitorino of late-onset hypogonadism in males. Aging Male 5:74–86
Papadimas J, Bili E, Papadopoulo E, Spanos E, Tarlatzis B, Kokkas B (1996) Testosterone undecanoate versus mesterolone in hypogonadal patients. Rev Clin Pharmacol Pharmacokinet Int 10:3–8
Park NC, Yan BQ, Chung JM, Lee KM (2003) Oral testosterone undecanoate (Andriol®) supplement therapy improves the quality of life for men with testosterone deficiency. Aging Male 6:86–93
Pechersky AV, Mazurov VI, Semiglazov VF, Karpischenko AI, Mikhailichenko VV, Udintsev AV (2002) Androgen administration in middle-aged and ageing men: effects of oral testosterone undecanoate on dihydrotestosterone, oestradiol and prostate volume. Int J Androl 25:119–125
Pusch HH (1989) Oral treatment of oligozoospermia with testosterone-undecanoate: results of a double-blind-placebo-controlled trial. Andrologia 21:76–82
Schubert M, Bullmann C, Minnemann T, Reiners C, Krone W, Jockenhövel F (2003) Osteoporosis in male hypogonadism: responses to androgen substitution differ among men with primary and secondary hypogonadism. Horm Res 60:21–28
Schürmeyer T, Wickings EJ, Freischem CW, Nieschlag E (1983) Saliva and serum testosterone following oral testosterone undecanoate administration in normal and hypogonadal men. Acta Endocrinol 102:456–462
Shackleford DM, Faassen WA, Houwing N, Lass H, Edwards GA, Porter CJH, Charman WN (2003) The contribution of lymphatically transported testosterone undecanoate to the systemic exposure of testosterone after oral administration of two Andriol® formulations in conscious lymph-duct cannulated dogs. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 306:1–9
Skakkebaek NE, Bancroft J, Davidson DW, Warner P (1981) Androgen replacement with oral testosterone undecanoate in hypogonadal men: a double blind controlled study. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 14:49–61
Tan RS, Pu SJ (2003) A pilot study on the effects of testosterone in hypogonadal aging male patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Aging Male 6:13–17
Täuber U, Schröder K, Düsterberg B, Matthes H (1986) Absolute bioavailability of testosterone after oral administration of testosterone-undecanoate and testosterone. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 11:145–149
Uyanik BS, Ari Z, Gumus B, Yigitoglu MR, Arslan T (1997) Beneficial effects of testosterone undecanoate on the lipoprotein profiles in healthy elderly men. A placebo controlled study. Jpn Heart J 38:73–82
Vandekerckhove P, Lilford R, Vail A, Hughes E (2000) Androgens versus placebo or no treatment for idiopathic oligo/asthenospermia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2:CD000150
Vermeulen A, Kaufman JM (2002) Diagnosis of hypogonadism in the aging male. Aging Male 5:170–176
Wittert GA, Chapman IM, Haren MT, Mackintosh S, Coates P, Morley JE (2003) Oral testosterone supplementation increases muscle and decreases fat mass in healthy elderly males with low-normal gonadal status. J Gerontol 58A: 618–625
Wu S, Weng X (1992) Therapeutic effect of andriol on serum lipids and apolipoproteins in elderly male coronary heart disease patients. Chin Med Sci J 7:137–141
Wu SZ, Weng XZ (1993) Therapeutic effects of an androgenic preparation on myocardial ischemia and cardiac function in 62 elderly male coronary heart disease patients. Chin Med J (Engl) 106:415–418
Zitzmann M, Depenbusch M, Gromoll J, Nieschlag E (2003) Prostate volume and growth in testosterone-substituted hypogonadal men are dependent on the CAG repeat polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene: a longitudinal pharmacogenetic study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88:2049–2054
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Köhn, FM., Schill, WB. A new oral testosterone undecanoate formulation. World J Urol 21, 311–315 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-003-0372-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-003-0372-x