How PROPECIA® (finasteride) Works

PROPECIA, a once-a-day pill, is a specific inhibitor of type II 5 alpha-reductase that lowers dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
	PROPECIA specifically inhibits the enzyme type II 5 alpha-reductase to decrease serum and scalp DHT. (The relative contributions of these reductions to the treatment effect of PROPECIA have not been defined.)
	PROPECIA lowers DHT. Lowering DHT appears to:

—	Inhibit the further miniaturization of affected hair follicles.
—	Help restore miniaturized hair follicles to regrow visible hair.

	In a clinical study, PROPECIA did not appear to affect hair growth on other parts of the body.

Important Information About PROPECIA

• PROPECIA is the first oral therapy indicated for the treatment of male pattern hair loss in MEN ONLY. Safety and efficacy were demonstrated in men, aged 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss of the vertex and anterior mid-scalp area. Efficacy in bitemporal recession has not been established.
• PROPECIA is not indicated in women or children.
• No dosage adjustment is necessary in the elderly or in patients with renal insufficiency.
• Physicians should instruct their patients to promptly report any changes in their breasts such as lumps, pain, or nipple discharge. Breast changes including breast enlargement, tenderness, and neoplasm have been reported.
• In clinical studies with finasteride 1 mg in men aged 18 to 41, the mean value of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decreased from 0.7 ng/mL at baseline to 0.5 ng/mL at Month 12. In clinical studies with PROSCAR^® (finasteride 5 mg)* when used in older men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), PSA levels are decreased by approximately 50%. These findings should be taken into account for proper interpretation of serum PSA when evaluating men treated with finasteride.
• No drug interactions of clinical importance have been identified.
  

  —	Compounds that have been tested in men include antipyrine, digoxin, propranolol, theophylline, and warfarin, and no clinically meaningful interactions were found.