Antigonadotropic agents
What are Antigonadotropic agents?
Antigonadotropic agents work by different mechanisms to inhibit the activity of gonadotropic hormones. Different agents are used to treat different medical conditions.
An antigonadotropin is a drug which suppresses the activity and/or downstream effects of one or both of the gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone causes the pituitary gland in the brain to make and secrete the hormones luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In men, these hormones cause the testicles to make testosterone.
Antagon® (ganirelix acetate) and Cetrotide® (cetrorelix) are GnRH antagonists (hormonal drugs) which are currently approved for enhancing response to ovulation inducing drugs, and specifically to prevent premature ovulation. GnRH antagonists have not been shown to cause major side effects in humans so far.
The two principal gonadotropins in vertebrates are luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), although primates produce a third gonadotropin called chorionic gonadotropin (CG). LH and FSH are heterodimers consisting of two peptide chains, an alpha chain and a beta chain.





