Eligard® 6: A New Form of Treatment for Prostate Cancer

ObjectivesLuteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists have become the mainstay for the treatment of advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (pCA) but are increasingly used in earlier stages of the disease for various indications. Eligard® is a depot formulation of leuprolide acetate using the novel delivery system Atrigel®. Eligard 6 is the first and only LHRH agonist commercially available that extends treatment for 6 mo.MethodsThis literature review evaluates the efficacy and tolerability of Eligard 6 and discusses its potential advantages and therapeutic applications.ResultsIn a 12-mo open-label multicentre study, Eligard 6 rapidly suppressed testosterone levels to ≤50 ng/dl in 97% of patients and ≤20 ng/dl in 83% of patients. This was maintained during the course of the study; only one patient experienced a breakthrough testosterone escape. Eligard 6 had a comparable tolerability to the 1- and 3-mo formulations of Eligard. Hot flashes were the most common adverse event with the majority being of mild intensity. Eligard 6 offers practical advantages to patients and physicians in terms of convenience and patient comfort and has cost benefits for the health care system. Its ability to provide 6-mo testosterone suppression may be of particular interest in the (neo)adjuvant setting and/or in patients receiving intermittent therapy for biochemical failure after radical therapy.ConclusionsEligard 6 is a new LHRH agonist formulation that provides testosterone control for 6 mo and offers physicians the ability to tailor the management of pCA to the lifestyles of their patients.