Danazol

Danazol is a derivative of the synthetic steroid ethisterone that suppresses the production of gonadotropins and has some weak androgenic effects. Before becoming available as a generic drug, danazol was marketed as Danocrine in the United States. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first drug to specifically treat endometriosis in the early 1970s. Although effective for endometriosis, its use is limited by its masculinizing side-effects. Its role as a treatment for endometriosis has been largely replaced by the GnRH agonists.