Dimethisterone

Dimethisterone
Clinical data
Trade names	Lutagan, Secrosteron, others
Other names	Dimethindrone; 6α,21-Dimethylethisterone; 6α,21-Dimethyl-17α-ethynyltestosterone; 17α-Ethynyl-6α,21-dimethylandrost-4-en-17β-ol-3-one; 6α,21-Dimethyl-17β-hydroxy-17α-pregn-4-en-20-yn-3-one
Routes of; administration	By mouth
Drug class	Progestogen; Progestin
Identifiers
	IUPAC name (6S,8R,9S,10R,13S,14S,17S)-17-hydroxy-6,10,13-trimethyl-17-prop-1-ynyl-2,6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16-decahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one;
CAS Number	79-64-1;
PubChem CID	6607;
ChemSpider	6357;
UNII	OIC9M646C5;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID5057834 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.001.106
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C23H32O2
Molar mass	340.507 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES CC#C[C@@]1(CC[C@@H]2[C@@]1(CC[C@H]3[C@H]2C[C@@H](C4=CC(=O)CC[C@]34C)C)C)O;
	InChI InChI=1S/C23H32O2/c1-5-9-23(25)12-8-19-17-13-15(2)20-14-16(24)6-10-21(20,3)18(17)7-11-22(19,23)4/h14-15,17-19,25H,6-8,10-13H2,1-4H3/t15-,17+,18-,19-,21+,22-,23-/m0/s1; Key:LVHOURKCKUYIGK-RGUJTQARSA-N;

Dimethisterone, formerly sold under the brand names Lutagan and Secrosteron among others, is a progestin medication which was used in birth control pills and in the treatment of gynecological disorders but is now no longer available. It was used both alone and in combination with an estrogen. It is taken by mouth.

Side effects of dimethisterone are similar to those of other progestins. When used in combination with high doses of an estrogen, an increased risk of endometrial cancer can occur. Dimethisterone is a progestin, or a synthetic progestogen, and hence is an agonist of the progesterone receptor, the biological target of progestogens like progesterone. It has some antimineralocorticoid activity and no other important hormonal activity.

Dimethisterone was first described and was introduced for medical use in 1959. It started being used in birth control pills in 1965. However, due to its low potency and consequent inability to prevent the increased risk of endometrial cancer with estrogens, dimethisterone was soon discontinued for such purposes.