estradiol 3-benzoate

Estradiol benzoate

Estradiol benzoate (EB), sold under the brand name Progynon-B among others, is an estrogen medication which is used in hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and low estrogen levels in women, in hormone therapy for transgender women, and in the treatment of gynecological disorders. It is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer in men. Estradiol benzoate is used in veterinary medicine as well. When used clinically, the medication is given by injection into muscle usually two to three times per week. Side effects of estradiol benzoate include breast tenderness, breast enlargement, nausea, headache, and fluid retention. Estradiol benzoate is an estrogen and hence is an agonist of the estrogen receptor, the biological target of estrogens like estradiol. It is an estrogen ester and a prodrug of estradiol in the body. Because of this, it is considered to be a natural and bioidentical form of estrogen. Estradiol benzoate was discovered in 1933 and was introduced for medical use that same year. It was the first estradiol ester to be discovered or marketed, and was one of the first estrogens to be used in medicine. Along with estradiol dipropionate, estradiol benzoate was among the most widely used esters of estradiol for many years following its introduction. However, in the 1950s, longer-acting estradiol esters that necessitated less frequent injections, such as estradiol valerate and estradiol cypionate, were developed, and have since largely superseded estradiol benzoate. Nonetheless, estradiol benzoate remains widely available throughout the world. It is not available...