Estradiol enantate
Estradiol enantate, sold under the brand names Perlutal and Topasel among others, is an estrogen medication which is used in hormonal birth control. It is formulated in combination with dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide (DHPA; algestone acetophenide), a progestin, and is used as a combined injectable contraceptive. Estradiol enantate is not available alone. The medication is given by injection into muscle once a month.
Side effects of estradiol enantate include breast tenderness, breast enlargement, nausea, headache, and fluid retention. The drug is a synthetic estrogen and hence is an agonist of the estrogen receptor (ER), the biological target of estrogens like estradiol. Estradiol enantate is an estrogen ester and a long-lasting prodrug of estradiol in the body. Because of this, it is considered to be a natural and bioidentical form of estrogen.
Estradiol enantate was first described by 1954, and was first studied in combination with DHPA as a combined injectable contraceptive in 1964. The combination was introduced for clinical use by the mid-1970s. Estradiol enantate is not available as a standalone medication (i.e., by itself without DHPA). The combination is available in Latin America and Hong Kong, and was also previously marketed in Spain and Portugal.
Estradiol valerate
Estradiol valerate, sold under the brand names Delestrogen, Progynon Depot, and Progynova among others, is an estrogen medication which is used in hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and low estrogen levels in women, in hormone therapy for transgender women, and in hormonal birth control for women. It is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer in men. The medication is taken by mouth or by injection into muscle once every 1 to 4 weeks.
Side effects of estradiol valerate include breast tenderness, breast enlargement, nausea, headache, and fluid retention. Estradiol valerate is a synthetic estrogen and hence is an agonist of the estrogen receptor (ER), the biological target of estrogens like estradiol. It is an estrogen ester and a prodrug of estradiol in the body. Because of this, it is considered to be a natural and bioidentical form of estrogen.
Estradiol valerate was first described in 1940 and was introduced for medical use in 1954. Along with estradiol cypionate, it is one of the most widely used esters of estradiol. Estradiol valerate is used in the United States, Canada, Europe, and throughout much of the rest of the world. It is available as a generic medication.