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Avodart Vs. Finasteride: Drug Comparison

Compare common side effects, interactions, warnings, and more.

Medical Review byMike Bohl, MD, MBA, MPH, MS, ALMMay 27, 2025

Medication Name

Avodart

*image for illustrative purpose only

Avodart

*image for illustrative purpose only

Summary

Prescription only

Avodart® (dutasteride) is a medication used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which helps shrink the prostate and improve urinary symptoms. Its FDA-approved indication is for the treatment of BPH in men, and it may be used off-label for male pattern hair loss. Avodart is available in capsule form. Common side effects include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and breast tenderness or enlargement, while drug interactions may occur with other medications that affect certain liver enzymes. It is contraindicated in women of childbearing potential due to the risk of birth defects, and it should not be handled by pregnant women.

Prescription only

Finasteride is the active ingredient in the brand-name medication Propecia®. The information below is about brand name Propecia. According to the FDA, “Generic medicines use the same active ingredients as brand-name medicines and work the same way, so they have the same risks and benefits as the brand-name medicines.”

Propecia (finasteride) is an oral medication used to treat male pattern hair loss by preventing the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to pattern hair loss. It is typically prescribed to men experiencing hair thinning on the crown and the middle of the scalp. Propecia is taken once daily and can slow hair loss while promoting regrowth in some men. However, it may cause side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and, in rare cases, depression and breast tenderness​.

Drug Category

5 alpha-reductase inhibitor

5α-reductase inhibitor

Approved Uses

Avodart (dutasteride) is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate to:

  • Improve symptoms

  • Reduce the risk of acute urinary retention

  • Reduce the risk of the need for BPH-related surgery

Avodart in combination with the alpha-adrenergic antagonist, tamsulosin, is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic BPH in men with an enlarged prostate

Propecia (finasteride) is indicated:

  • For the treatment of male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in men only

Dosage

  • Typically taken orally once daily

  • Comes in 0.5 mg soft gelatin capsules

  • Typically taken orally once daily

  • Comes in 1 mg tablets

Known Common Side Effects

The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥1% of subjects treated with Avodart and more commonly than in subjects treated with placebo, are:

  • Impotence

  • Decreased libido

  • Ejaculation disorders

  • Breast disorders

The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥1% of patients treated with finasteride and greater than in patients treated with placebo are:

  • Decreased libido

  • Erectile dysfunction

  • Ejaculation disorder

Interactions & Contraindications

  • Pregnancy

  • Patients with previously demonstrated, clinically significant hypersensitivity (e.g., serious skin reactions, angioedema) to Avodart or other 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors

  • Drug interactions: potent, chronic cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 enzyme inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir)

  • Pregnancy

  • Hypersensitivity to any components of this product

Warnings & Precautions

  • Avodart reduces serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration by approximately 50%

  • Avodart may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer

  • Prior to initiating treatment with Avodart, consideration should be given to other urological conditions that may cause similar symptoms

  • Women who are pregnant or may be pregnant should not handle Avodart capsules due to potential risk to a male fetus

  • Patients should not donate blood until 6 months after their last dose of Avodart

  • Propecia is not indicated for use in women or pediatric patients

  • Women should not handle crushed or broken Propecia tablets when they are pregnant or may potentially be pregnant due to potential risk to a male fetus

  • Propecia causes a decrease in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Any confirmed increase in PSA while on Propecia may signal the presence of prostate cancer and should be evaluated, even if those values are still within the normal range for men not taking a 5α-reductase inhibitor

  • 5α-reductase inhibitors may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer

References

*This information is from the label for brand name Avodart®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Dutasteride, the active ingredient in Avodart, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient dutasteride.

*This information is from the label for brand name Propecia®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient finasteride.

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