Testosterone undecanoate in the treatment of male hypogonadism.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: Testosterone undecanoate (TU) represents an exciting new testosterone replacement therapy for hypogonadal men due to its convenient dosing schedule and favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: Clinical, pharmacokinetic and safety characteristics of TU will be reviewed. The characteristics of currently approved testosterone therapies will be reviewed and compared with those of TU in order to determine which therapy most appropriately meets the clinical objective of properly matching a patient with a therapy that is best able to deliver physiological levels of testosterone for prolonged periods of time, while at the same time being safe, effective, inexpensive, simple to use, and with few side effects.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: TU represents the first long-acting injectable with an excellent safety profile that can be administered only four times annually to produce stable levels of testosterone. Long-term studies have validated the clinical efficacy of TU in maintaining therapeutic levels of testosterone. Patient preference for the convenient dosing schedule might also lead to better compliance and therapeutic benefit. No serious side effects have been noted with the use of TU, including long-term data on patients treated with TU over 8 years.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: TU is both a desirable and safe option for the treatment of hypogonadal men. Patients will benefit from the stable testosterone levels and fewer required injections, while achieving the desired benefits of androgen replacement.