Dimethandrolone undecanoate

Dimethandrolone undecanoate (DMAU), also known by its developmental code name CDB-4521, is an experimental androgen/anabolic steroid (AAS) and progestogen medication which is under development as a potential birth control pill for men. It is taken by mouth, but can also be given by injection into muscle. Side effects of DMAU include mild weight gain and mild decreases in levels of HDL cholesterol. It may also cause low estrogen levels and associated symptoms such as reduced sexual function and decreased bone mineral density. DMAU is an AAS, and hence is an agonist of the androgen receptor, the biological target of androgens like testosterone. It is also a progestin, or a synthetic progestogen, and hence is an agonist of the progesterone receptor, the biological target of progestogens like progesterone. Due to its androgenic and progestogenic activity, DMAU has antigonadotropic effects. These effects result in reversible suppression of sperm production and are responsible for the contraceptive effects of DMAU in men. The medication has no estrogenic activity. DMAU is a prodrug of dimethandrolone. DMAU was first described in 2002. It was developed by the Contraceptive Development Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, an agency in the United States government. DMAU is an experimental medication and is not currently approved for medical use. It is under development for use as a potential male hormonal contraceptive, specifically as a birth control pill for men. The medication has been found to profoundly and rapidly reversibly suppress testicular testosterone production in men when taken by mouth once per day for a month. The circulating levels of testosterone achieved with oral DMAU were equivalent to those seen on average with surgical castration (13.4 ng/dL for DMAU, 15 ng/dL for castration). Following discontinuation of DMAU, testosterone levels began to recover within days and reached normal levels within a month. Testicular testosterone production is essential for spermatogenesis and fertility in men.