I will try to clear up some possible questions you may have, very
briefly.

1) Lupron (Leuprolide) is the same drug whether its in depot form
or not. Many drugs now have a depot mechanism in which biochemical
vessels (which are made of fats) can slowly release the drug into
the bloodstream.

2) This is important, because ALL drugs rapidly clear the blood through
detoxification primarily through the liver. In Lupron's case its
halflife is 2.9 hours! It means that in 3 hours half the drug remains.
It doesn't mean the drug is no longer active. Usually drugs are rapidly
taken in and converted to an active form, which has a longer term
biological effect. How long this effect is totally depends on the drug.

3) Bottom line: There is always a cyclic nature of drugs in terms of
activity. The Depot form allows the tapering effect to occur much much
later (months later) but it still occurs. Giving the drug every day
allows rapid dose changes if necessary. Its probably also cheaper,
but AFAIK there isn't an oral form of lupron available.

Anyway there are pros and cons to both depot and 24 hour, but obviously
the 24 hr version is vastly different from the depot form.

Robert Dejournett, PhD,  Postdoctoral Fellow
UNC-Duke Proteomics Center
116 Manning Dr, 424 MEJ Bldg, Box 7260 
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-7260
Tele: 919-966-7489  Cell: 713-599-9369

Blog: http://gibbieshut.blogger.com

[Posted in FML 6123]