Canada
In Canada, prasterone is a Controlled Drug listed under Section 23 of Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and as such is available by prescription only. United Kingdom
Prasterone is listed as an anabolic steroid and is thus a class C controlled drug. United States
Prasterone is legal to sell in the United States as a dietary supplement. It is currently grandfathered in as an "Old Dietary Ingredient" being on sale prior to 1994. Prasterone is specifically exempted from the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 and 2004. Sports and athletics
Prasterone is banned from use in athletic competition. It is a prohibited substance under the World Anti-Doping Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which manages drug testing for Olympics and other sports. Yulia Efimova, who holds the world record pace for both the 50-meter and 200-meter breaststroke, and won the bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in the 2012 London Olympic Games, tested positive for prasterone in an out-of-competition doping test. Rashard Lewis, then with the Orlando Magic, tested positive for prasterone and was suspended 10 games before the start of the 2009–10 season. In 2016 MMA fighter Fabio Maldonado revealed he was taking prasterone during his time with the UFC. In January 2011, NBA player O. J. Mayo was given a 10-game suspension after testing positive for prasterone. Mayo termed his use of prasterone as "an honest mistake," saying the prasterone was in an over-the-counter supplement and that he was unaware the supplement was banned by the NBA.
Prasterone was under development for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in the United States and Europe in the 1990s and 2000s and reached phase III clinical trials and preregistration for this indication, respectively, but ultimately development was not continued past 2010. Memory
Prasterone supplementation has not been found to be useful for memory function in normal middle aged or older adults. It has been studied as a treatment for Alzheimers disease, but there is no evidence that it is effective or ineffective. More research is needed to determine its benefits. Mood
A few small, short term clinical studies have found that prasterone improves mood but its long-term efficacy and safety, and how it compares to antidepressants, was unknown as of 2015. References
Further reading
Keppel Hesselink JM (December 1997). "[Prasterone (dihydroepiandrosterone): a modern source of eternal youth?]". Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd (in Dutch). 141 (51): 2484–7. PMID 9555138. Zelissen PM, Thijssen JH (October 2001). "[Role of prasterone (dehydroepiandrosterone) in substitution therapy for adrenocortical insufficiency]". Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd (in Dutch). 145 (42): 2018–22. PMID 11695098. Pope, JE; Cupp, MJ; Tracy, TS (2003). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (Prasterone). Dietary Supplements. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press. pp. 123–147. doi:10.1007/978-1-59259-303-3_8 (inactive 31 July 2022). ISBN 9781592593033. {{cite book}}:  CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2022 (link)
Kocis P (November 2006). "Prasterone". Am J Health Syst Pharm. 63 (22): 2201–10. doi:10.2146/ajhp060100. PMID 17090740. Mendivil Dacal JM, Borges VM (April 2009). "[Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), review of its efficiency in the managing of the libido decrease and other symptoms of aging]". Actas Urol Esp (in Spanish). 33 (4): 390–401. doi:10.4321/s0210-48062009000400009.