Nilutamide monotherapy is known to eventually induce gynecomastia in 40 to 80% of men treated with it for prostate cancer, usually within 6 to 9 months of treatment initiation.Relative to other NSAAs, nilutamide has been uniquely associated with mild and reversible visual disturbances (31–58%) including delayed ocular adaptation to darkness and impaired color vision, a disulfiram-like alcohol intolerance (19%), interstitial pneumonitis (0.77–2.4%) (which can result in dyspnea (1%) as a secondary effect and can progress to pulmonary fibrosis), and hepatitis (1%), and has a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting compared to other NSAAs. The incidence of interstitial pneumonitis with nilutamide has been found to be much higher in Japanese patients (12.6%), warranting particular caution in Asian individuals. There is a case report of simultaneous liver and lung toxicity in a nilutamide-treated patient.There is also a risk of hepatotoxicity with nilutamide, though occurrence is very rare and the risk is significantly less than with flutamide. The incidence of abnormal liver function tests (e.g., elevated liver enzymes) has been variously reported as 2 to 33% with nilutamide. For comparison, the risk of elevated liver enzymes has been reported as 4 to 62% in the case of flutamide. The risk of hepatotoxicity with nilutamide has been described as far less than with flutamide. Fulminant hepatic failure has been reported for nilutamide, with fatal outcome. Between 1986 and 2003, the numbers of published cases of hepatotoxicity for antiandrogens totaled 46 for flutamide, 21 for cyproterone acetate, 4 for nilutamide, and 1 for bicalutamide.
Brand names
Nilutamide is marketed under the brand name Nilandron in the United States and under the brand name Anandron elsewhere in the world such as in Australia, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. Availability
Nilutamide is or has been available in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Egypt, and Lebanon. In Europe, it is or has been available in Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. in Latin America, it is or has been available in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Research
The combination of an estrogen and nilutamide as a form of combined androgen blockade for the treatment of prostate cancer has been studied in animals.Nilutamide has been studied in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. References
Further reading
Raynaud JP, Bonne C, Moguilewsky M, Lefebvre FA, Bélanger A, Labrie F (1984). "The pure antiandrogen RU 23908 (Anandron), a candidate of choice for the combined antihormonal treatment of prostatic cancer: a review". Prostate. 5 (3): 299–311. doi:10.1002/pros.2990050307. PMID 6374639. S2CID 85417869. Moguilewsky M, Bertagna C, Hucher M (1987). "Pharmacological and clinical studies of the antiandrogen Anandron". J. Steroid Biochem. 27 (4–6): 871–5. doi:10.1016/0022-4731(87)90162-2. PMID 3320565. Du Plessis DJ (1991). "Castration plus nilutamide vs castration plus placebo in advanced prostate cancer. A review". Urology. 37 (2 Suppl): 20–4. doi:10.1016/0090-4295(91)80097-q. PMID 1992599. Creaven PJ, Pendyala L, Tremblay D (1991). "Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of nilutamide". Urology. 37 (2 Suppl): 13–9. doi:10.1016/0090-4295(91)80096-p. PMID 1992598. Harris MG, Coleman SG, Faulds D, Chrisp P (1993). "Nilutamide.