Looks like a new medication will soon be approved for ADT - no more shots !

[Longterm101]

A pill form of ADT is being filed for FDA approval

google.com/amp/s/www.evalua...

[GP24]

I guess your doctor will be afraid that you forget to take your pills and rather give you an injection.

[Hex40]

Mixed blessing if you are on Medicare. The shot is covered under plan B which is most likely no charge. The pill is under plan D which will probably be expensive.

[cesces]

Does anyone know what it's pros and cons are?

Other than the insurance coverage/pricing issue mentioned by hex 40.

[GeorgesCalvez]

I have already written about this on another thread.

It is a small molecule that is a GnRH antagonist like Firmagon.

It has a very different profile in terms of half life being eliminated in a few days instead of months like Lupron / Eligard and Firmagon.

I think this will be of interest to men that are on short term ADT of six months in association with salvage radiotherapy.

Stopping the ADT at the end of the six months will result in very rapid unblocking of the GnRH receptors in the pituitary and resumption of normal service.

Men who are on long term ADT will likely continue with the injections of Eligard / Lupron or Firmagon.

It also seems to cause a profound fall in FSH levels, FSH does stimulate prostate cancer cells so it may find some use in combination therapy as well, maybe with Casodex?

[Longterm101 in reply to GeorgesCalvez]

I’m currently taking firmagon shots every 28 days

The knot (depot) it creates in my stomach area is always painful for 3 days afterwards

If this new drug is just as effective I might give it a try

[GeorgesCalvez]

I did Firmagon for 19 months and I found that the reaction got progressively worse for some time, I would guess at about six months and then it started to get better.

I used to take ibuprofen before the injection and then afterwards as needed.

Strangely in the USA they do Firmagon every 28 days so you get thirteen injections per year while in France they are more relaxed and do it monthly so you only get twelve.

The drug has a half live of around a month so you have a considerable time buffer, it takes around 4 - 5 months to eliminate it completely from your body and due to its mechanism of action it takes months for that part of your endocrine system to switch back on again.

If you have been a long term user there is a good chance that even when you stop the shots you will be on free Firmagon for the rest of your days!

[johnscats]

Thanks be to god I suffer like crazy from that injection puts me away for at least 3 days

[Don_1213]

It would certainly be interesting to see how the side-effects stack up vs Lupron..

[j-o-h-n]

Injecting you with a pill? Gotta see that....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 11/21/2019 6:45 PM EST