Estradiol (medication)
Estradiol is available in a variety of different formulations, including oral, intranasal, transdermal/topical, vaginal, injectable, and implantable preparations. An ester may be attached to one or both of the hydroxyl groups of estradiol to improve its oral bioavailability and/or duration of action with injection. Such modifications give rise to forms such as estradiol acetate (oral and vaginal), estradiol valerate (oral and injectable), estradiol cypionate (injectable), estradiol benzoate (injectable), estradiol undecylate (injectable), and polyestradiol phosphate (injectable; a polymerized ester of estradiol), which are all prodrugs of estradiol.
Estrone (medication)
Like estradiol, estrone has poor oral bioavailability. It has been said that, taken by mouth in non-micronized form, a dose of 25 mg estrone is approximately equivalent to 2.5 mg conjugated estrogens, 50 µg ethinylestradiol, or 1 mg diethylstilbestrol in terms of estrogenic potency. Due to its weak oral activity, estrone has been used parenterally instead, for instance by intramuscular injection or vaginal administration. The pharmacokinetics of vaginal estrone have been studied.