1. A prescription medication that inhibits the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, used to treat male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical term; commonly known by brand names Propecia (for hair loss) and Proscar (for prostate enlargement)

Examples

• Finasteride is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for male pattern baldness.
• The doctor prescribed finasteride to help reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
• Finasteride works by blocking the production of a hormone that causes hair loss in genetically predisposed men.
• Patients taking finasteride should be aware that results may take several months to become visible.
• Finasteride is available only by prescription in most countries.