About 28% of an oral dose of oxandrolone is eliminated unchanged in the urine and 3% is excreted in the feces. Chemistry
Oxandrolone is a synthetic androstane steroid and a 17α-alkylated derivative of DHT. It is also known as 2-oxa-17α-methyl-5α-dihydrotestosterone (2-oxa-17α-methyl-DHT) or as 2-oxa-17α-methyl-5α-androstan-17β-ol-3-one, and is DHT with a methyl group at the C17α position and the C2 carbon replaced with an oxygen atom. Closely related AASs include the marketed AAS mestanolone (17α-methyl-DHT), oxymetholone (2-hydroxymethylene-17α-methyl-DHT), and stanozolol (a 2,3-pyrazole A ring-fused derivative of 17α-methyl-DHT) and the never-marketed/designer AAS desoxymethyltestosterone (3-deketo-17α-methyl-δ2-DHT), methasterone (2α,17α-dimethyl-DHT), methyl-1-testosterone (17α-methyl-δ1-DHT), and methylstenbolone (2,17α-dimethyl-δ1-DHT). History
Oxandrolone was first made by Raphael Pappo and Christopher J. Jung while at Searle Laboratories (now part of Pfizer). The researchers first described the drug in 1962. They were immediately interested in oxandrolones very weak androgenic effects relative to its anabolic effects. It was introduced as a pharmaceutical drug in the United States in 1964.The drug was prescribed to promote muscle regrowth in disorders which cause involuntary weight loss, and is used as part of treatment for HIV/AIDS. It had also been shown to be partially successful in treating cases of osteoporosis. However, in part due to bad publicity from its illicit use by bodybuilders, production of Anavar was discontinued by Searle Laboratories in 1989. It was picked up by Bio-Technology General Corporation, which changed its name to Savient Pharmaceuticals, which following successful clinical trials in 1995, released it under the brand name Oxandrin.
It is also available in Mexico. Historically, oxandrolone has been marketed in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, and Spain, but it appears to no longer be available in these countries. Legal status
In the United States, oxandrolone is categorized as a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act along with many other AASs. It is a Schedule IV controlled substance in Canada, and a Schedule 4 controlled drug in the United Kingdom. Doping in sports
Oxandrolone is sometimes used as a doping agent in sports. Cases of doping with oxandrolone by professional athletes have been reported. References
External links
Oxandrin Homepage, savientpharma.com (via archive.org)
Oxandrin Label, fda.gov (retrieved 23 October 2009)
"Oxandrolone Side Effects, Interactions and Information". drugs.com.