This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.
Dutasteride is a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate to: ( 1.1 ) improve symptoms, reduce the risk of acute urinary retention, and reduce the risk of the need for BPH-related surgery. Dutasteride in combination with the alpha adrenergic antagonist, tamsulosin, is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic BPH in men with an enlarged prostate. ( 1.2 ) Limitations of Use: Dutasteride is not approved for the prevention of prostate cancer. ( 1.3 ) 1.1 Monotherapy Dutasteride capsules are 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 (AUR), and reduce the risk of the need for BPH-related surgery. 1.2 Combination With Alpha Adrenergic Antagonist Dutasteride in combination with the alpha adrenergic antagonist, tamsulosin, is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic BPH in men with an enlarged prostate. 1.3 Limitations of Use Dutasteride is not approved for the prevention of prostate cancer.
Dutasteride is contraindicated for use in: Pregnancy. In animal reproduction and developmental toxicity trials, dutasteride inhibited development of male fetus external genitalia. Therefore, dutasteride may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. If dutasteride is used during pregnancy or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking dutasteride, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) , Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ] . Women of childbearing potential [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) , Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ] . Pediatric patients [see Use in Specific Populations (8.4) ] . Patients with previously demonstrated clinically significant hypersensitivity (e.g., serious skin reactions, angioedema) to dutasteride or other 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors [see Adverse Reactions (6.2) ] . Pregnancy and women of childbearing potential. ( 4 , 5.4 , 8.1 ) Pediatric patients. ( 4 ) Patients with previously demonstrated, clinically significant hypersensitivity (e.g., serious skin reactions, angioedema) to dutasteride or other 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors. ( 4 )
Dutasteride reduces serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration by approximately 50%. However, any confirmed increase in PSA while on dutasteride may signal the presence of prostate cancer and should be evaluated, even if those values are still within the normal range for untreated men. ( 5.1 ) Dutasteride may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. ( 5.2 , 6.1 ) Prior to initiating treatment with dutasteride, consideration should be given to other urological conditions that may cause similar symptoms. ( 5.3 ) Women who are pregnant or could become pregnant should not handle dutasteride capsules due to potential risk to a male fetus. ( 5.4 , 8.1 ) Patients should not donate blood until 6 months after their last dose of dutasteride. ( 5.5 ) 5.1 Effects on Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) and the Use of PSA in Prostate Cancer Detection In clinical trials, dutasteride reduced serum PSA concentration by approximately 50% within 3 to 6 months of treatment. This decrease was predictable over the entire range of PSA values in patients with symptomatic BPH, although it may vary in individuals. Dutasteride may also cause decreases in serum PSA in the presence of prostate can...
The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥1% of patients treated with dutasteride and more commonly than in subjects treated with placebo, are impotence, decreased libido, ejaculation disorders, and breast disorders. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Banyan Pharma LLC at 1-888-328-0749 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trial of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. From clinical trials with dutasteride as monotherapy or in combination with tamsulosin: The most common adverse reactions reported in subjects receiving dutasteride were impotence, decreased libido, breast disorders (including breast enlargement and tenderness), and ejaculation disorders. The most common adverse reactions reported in subjects receiving combination therapy (dutasteride plus tamsulosin) were impotence, decreased libido, breast disorders (including breast enlargement and tenderness), ejaculation disorders, and dizziness....
Warnings and Precautions, Evaluation for Other Urological Diseases ( 5.3 ) 03/2012
Source: FDA SPL label for DUTASTERIDE (Banyan Pharma LLC), effective 20260729. Full label on DailyMed.
These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,186 | 1,089 | 1,032 | 1,118 | 1,404 | 1,202 | 954 | 454 |
2,698 reports blaming this drug for every million Medicare prescriptions filled, which is 1.0× the typical drug on this site. (2,586 reports in 2024–2026, against 958,575 Medicare fills in one year. This is the one number here that accounts for how many people take the drug.)
Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.
Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.
In 2024, drug companies reported $0 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 0 transactions.
No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.
Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.
Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.
| Product | Fills | $/fill |
|---|---|---|
| Dutasteride | 955,565 | $33 |
| Avodart | 3,010 | $2,263 |
1 drug in the same class grades a letter or more higher than dutasteride on this site. Worth asking whether one of them would do the same job for you.
Same ATC pharmacological class, graded ones first, best grade at the top. Being in the same class does not make them interchangeable for your condition; it makes them worth asking about.