Testosterone cypionate, sold under the brand name Depo-Testosterone among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is used mainly in the treatment of low testosterone levels in men.[2][3][4] It is also used in hormone therapy for transgender men.[5][6] It is given by injection into muscle or subcutaneously, once every one to four weeks, depending on clinical indication.[4][7][8][9]
Side effects of testosterone cypionate include symptoms of masculinization like acne, increased hair growth, voice changes, and increased sexual desire.[4] The drug is a synthetic androgen and anabolic steroid and hence is an agonist of the androgen receptor (AR), the biological target of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT).[10][4] It has strong androgenic effects and moderate anabolic effects, which make it useful for producing masculinization and suitable for androgen replacement therapy.[4] Testosterone cypionate is a testosterone ester and a long-lasting prodrug of testosterone in the body.[7][2][3] Because of this, it is considered to be a natural and bioidentical form of testosterone.[11]
Testosterone cypionate was introduced for medical use in 1951.[12][13] Along with testosterone enanthate, testosterone undecanoate, and testosterone propionate, it is one of the most commonly used testosterone esters.[10][4] It is used mainly in the United States.[4] In addition to its medical use, testosterone cypionate is used to improve physique and performance.[4] The drug is a controlled substance in many countries and so non-medical use is generally illicit.[4]
See also: Androgen replacement therapy § Medical uses, and Anabolic steroid § Medical
Testosterone cypionate is used primarily in androgen replacement therapy.[14] It is currently FDA approved for the treatment of primary or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (either congenital or acquired). Its safety in andropause (late-onset hypogonadism in men) has not yet been established.[1] It is currently used off-label for breast cancer, breast disorders, delayed puberty in boys, oligospermia (low sperm count), hormone replacement therapy in transgender men,[9] and osteoporosis.[15][1]
Side effects[]
See also: Anabolic steroid § Adverse effects, and Androgen replacement therapy § Adverse effects
Side effects of testosterone cypionate include virilization among others.[4] It can also create conditions for heart attack, enlargement of prostate gland, liver malfunction, issues related to coagulation, pulmonary embolism, and polycythemia.[16]
Pharmacology[]
Pharmacodynamics[]
See also: Testosterone § Mechanism of action, and Anabolic steroid § Pharmacology
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Androgenic vs. anabolic activity of androgens/anabolic steroids
Notes: In rodents. Footnotes:a = Ratio of androgenic to anabolic activity. Sources: See template.
Testosterone cypionate is a prodrug of testosterone and is an androgen and anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS). That is, it is an agonist of the androgen receptor (AR).
Pharmacokinetics[]
The pharmacokinetics of testosterone cypionate via depotintramuscular injection, including its elimination half-life and duration of action, are said to be extremely comparable to and hence essentially the same as those of testosterone enanthate.[4][3] As such, testosterone cypionate and testosterone enanthate are considered to be "functionally interchangeable" as medications.[4] For reference, testosterone enanthate has an elimination half-life of 4.5 days and a mean residence time of 8.5 days and requires frequent administration of approximately once per week.[17] Large fluctuations in testosterone levels result with it, with levels initially being elevated and supraphysiological.[17] The pharmacokinetics of testosterone cypionate have been studied and reported.[18]
Testosterone cypionate, or testosterone 17β-cyclopentylpropionate, is a syntheticandrostanesteroid and a derivative of testosterone.[19][20] It is an androgen ester; specifically, it is the C17β cyclopentylpropionate (cypionate) ester of testosterone.[19][20]
History[]
Testosterone cypionate was first synthesized in 1951[21] and was introduced for medical use in the United States the same year under the brand name Depo-Testosterone.[12][13]
Society and culture[]
Generic names[]
Testosterone cypionate is the generic name of the drug and its USP.[19][20][22][23] The drug does not have an INN, USAN, or BAN.[19][20][22][23] It has also been referred to as testosterone cipionate, as well as testosterone cyclopentylpropionate or testosterone cyclopentanepropionate.[19][20][22][23]
Brand names[]
Testosterone cypionate is or has been marketed under a variety of brand names, including:[19][20][22][23]
Testosterone cypionate is marketed in the United States.[4][20] It is not widely available outside of the United States, though it has been marketed in Canada, Australia, Spain, Brazil, and South Africa.[4][20]
Legal status[]
Testosterone cypionate, along with other AAS, is a schedule IIIcontrolled substance in the United States under the Controlled Substances Act and a schedule IV controlled substance in Canada under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.[24][25]
^Costa, Laura Bregieiro Fernandes; Rosa-e-Silva, Ana Carolina Japur de Sá; Medeiros, Sebastião Freitas de; Nacul, Andrea Prestes; Carvalho, Bruno Ramalho de; Benetti-Pinto, Cristina Laguna; Yela, Daniela Angerame; Maciel, Gustavo Arantes Rosa; Soares Júnior, José Maria; Maranhão, Técia Maria de Oliveira (May 2018). "Recommendations for the Use of Testosterone in Male Transgender*". Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 40 (5): 275–280. doi:10.1055/s-0038-1657788. ISSN0100-7203. PMID29913543.
^Irwig MS (April 2017). "Testosterone therapy for transgender men". The Lancet. Diabetes & Endocrinology. 5 (4): 301–311. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(16)00036-X. PMID27084565.
Anabolic steroids (e.g., testosterone and esters, methyltestosterone, metandienone (methandrostenolone), nandrolone and esters, many others; via estrogenic metabolites)