fluasterone

Fluasterone is a fluorinated derivative of an endogenous steroid hormone androstenolone (dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA). According to in vivo studies, fluasterone possess endocrinologic effects manifested in increased estrous cycle length and decreased the weights of the uterus, prostate, seminal vesicles, and testes. The mechanism of action of fluasterone is not yet fully elucidated, but most likely involve inhibition of glucose-6-phosphate hydrogenase. Fluasterone was developed by Aeson Therapeutics and was investigated in the late 1990s for the treatment of asthma, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The development of fluasterone for discontinued, probably due to a combination of low potency and insufficient oral bioavailability. Later, the development of fluasterone was continued by the company SteroTherapeutics. In 2018 the FDA has granted an orphan drug designation for fluasterone for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatosis, and hyperglycemia in patients with Cushing’s syndrome. — NCATS