Estropipate

Estropipate, also known as piperazine estrone sulfate and sold under the brand names Harmogen, Improvera, Ogen, Ortho-Est, and Sulestrex among others, is an estrogen medication which is used mainly in menopausal hormone therapy in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. It is a salt of estrone sulfate and piperazine, and is transformed into estrone and estradiol in the body. It is taken by mouth.

Medical uses

Estropipate is used to:Template:Additional citation needed

• Alleviate symptoms of menopause as menopausal hormone therapy
• Treat some types of infertility
• Treat some conditions leading to underdevelopment of female sexual characteristics
• Treat vaginal atrophy
• Treat some types of breast cancer (particularly in men and postmenopausal women)
• Treat prostate cancer
• Prevent osteoporosis

Available forms

Estropipate was available in the form of 0.75, 1.5, 3, and 6 mg oral tablets and 1.5 mg/gram vaginal cream. Estropipate is no longer available in the United States.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Estropipate is a prodrug of estrone and estradiol. Hence, it is an estrogen, or an agonist of the estrogen receptors.

Pharmacokinetics

Estropipate is hydrolyzed into estrone in the body. Estrone can then be transformed into estradiol by 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

History

Estropipate was introduced for medical use by Abbott in 1968. It was approved by the FDATooltip Food and Drug Administration in the United States in 1991.

Society and culture

Generic names

Estropipate is the generic name of the drug and its INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name, USANTooltip United States Adopted Name, and BANTooltip British Approved Name.

Brand names

Estropipate was marketed under the brand names Genoral, Harmogen, Improvera, Ogen, Ortho-Est, and Sulestrex among others.

Availability

Estropipate has been discontinued in the United States. In the past, estropipate has also been marketed in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, and Indonesia.