demegestone

Demegestone is a synthetic steroidal progestin of the 19-norprogesterone class. It acts as a highly potent **agonist** of the **progesterone receptor** and was previously used to treat luteal insufficiency. Demegestone exhibits strong progestogenic activity (about 50 times that of progesterone in animal models) and has little or no androgenic activity; it may have some antiandrogenic effects. The drug also shows low affinity for glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors and its major metabolite is a moderately potent progestogen with weak mineralocorticoid activity. Demegestone was marketed in France under the brand name Lutionex but has since been discontinued. It was also studied in combination with estrogens as an oral contraceptive and for infertility treatment.

Brand names

Lutionex

Other names

demegestonademegestonum17-methyl-19-norpregna-4,9-diene-3,20-dione