The active ingredient in Enantone is leuproreline/leuprolide, better known as Lupron, a synthetic hormone that stops the body from producing the testosterone hormone in males and estrogen hormone in females. In the IVF process, Lupron is used to gain control of the woman’s natural fertility cycles. In this way, the trigger injection prior to egg retrieval reduces the risk of hyperstimulation by suppressing the pituitary gland to prevent ovulation. It is also part of the “flare” protocol to help women who respond poorly to fertility medications.

Enantone has many other uses outside of IVF, and can also be used in the treatment of breast cancer, estrogen-dependent conditions, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids (like anemia brought on by uterine fibroid tumors).

In men Enantone can be used to treat prostate cancer, as well as early puberty in children. Unisexually it is under investigation as a possible treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

How Enantone Works

Enantone works by acting as an agonist at the pituitary GnRH receptors, interrupting the normal pulsatile stimulation of the GnRH receptors. The GnRH receptors are desensitized, followed by an indirect down regulating of the secretion of gonadotropins luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This leads to hypogonadism, a medical term which describes the diminishment of the gonads, or ovaries when talking about the process of IVF. This dramatically reduces the estradiol and testosterone level in both sexes. This is known as the “suppression phase,” which is then followed by the “stimulation phase” through other medications, but only after the effects of Enantone has subsided after a few weeks. When the medication is stopped, the hormone levels return to the level of normalcy prior to taking the drug.

Today, the ability for the Lupron in Enantone to suppress hormones is primarily useful for frozen embryo transfer cycles and egg donation cycles, though many programs still use the drug in fresh IVF cycles. The “flare effect” of Lupron can be used at the beginning of an IVF cycle to stimulate and facilitate the maturation of eggs. The flare effect can also be employed at the end of an IVF stimulation treatment instead of the more common hCG injection.

The primary use of Lupron, however, is still reserved for women who are too responsive to fertility treatment; those at risk for what is known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

References

Leuprorelin. (2014, August 4). Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leuprorelin

Lupron treatment in IVF . (2010, March 4). Retrieved from www.ivf1.com: http://www.ivf1.com/ivf-lupron/