Reference

Compare peptides

Two to four compounds, field by field: identity, United States regulatory status, and what kinds of documents are on file. The table records differences. It does not rank them.

Compound 1

Compound 2

Compound 3 (optional)

Compound 4 (optional)

No winner, no score, no recommendation. Counts describe how many documents of each kind Therapept has indexed — not how well a compound works, and not how much has been published overall.

Link to this comparison: /compare?peptides=finasteride,dutasteride,minoxidil

Side-by-side comparison of Finasteride, Dutasteride, Minoxidil
Identity
	Finasteride	Dutasteride	Minoxidil
Class	Small-molecule 5-alpha-reductase type II inhibitor, supplied as oral tablets	Small-molecule inhibitor of both type I and type II 5-alpha-reductase, supplied as oral capsules	Small-molecule vasodilator and ATP-sensitive potassium-channel opener, supplied as a topical solution or foam and as oral tablets
Also listed as	Propecia, Proscar, MK-906	Avodart, GI-198745, GG-745	Rogaine, Loniten, U-10858
Molecular formula	C23H36N2O2	C27H30F6N2O2	C9H15N5O
Molecular weight	372.55 g/mol	528.53 g/mol	209.25 g/mol
CAS	98319-26-7	164656-23-9	38304-91-5
PubChem CID	57363	6918296	4201
Sequence length	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Data caveat	None recorded	None recorded	None recorded
United States regulatory status
Status	FDA-approved drug substance	FDA-approved drug substance	FDA-approved drug substance
FDA application	NDA 020788 (PROPECIA) — approved 19 December 1997	None recorded	None recorded
Compounding	No FDA compounding entry recorded	No FDA compounding entry recorded	No FDA compounding entry recorded
WADA	Not named in this record	Not named in this record	Not named in this record
Research profile
Research purpose	Approved oral androgen-pathway treatment	Dual 5-alpha-reductase inhibition	Approved topical hair-regrowth treatment
Proposed mechanism	Inhibits type II 5-alpha-reductase, reducing conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Lower scalp DHT slows follicular miniaturisation in responders.	Inhibits type I and type II 5-alpha-reductase, reducing DHT. The longer half-life means effects and adverse events persist longer after stopping than with finasteride.	Opens ATP-sensitive potassium channels and dilates blood vessels; it also prolongs the growth phase of the hair cycle. The precise reason it grows hair is still debated.
Human evidence	Randomised trials in men with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia support the approved indication. It is not approved for women.	Trials and reviews support off-label use in male androgenetic alopecia; Japan and South Korea have approved it for that indication. It is not FDA-approved for hair loss.	Randomised trials and decades of clinical use support topical minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia in men and women. Oral low-dose use for hair loss is off-label.
Evidence tier	Approved drug product in the United States	Approved drug product in the United States	Approved drug product in the United States
Known safety concerns	The label carries warnings and precautions, including sexual adverse experiences and effects on prostate-specific antigen. Finasteride is not indicated for women; the label addresses pregnancy risk. This record is not a complete safety profile or a prescribing guide.	The approved label carries warnings and precautions, including sexual adverse experiences and prostate-cancer considerations. The long half-life means adverse effects may persist after discontinuation. Off-label status means the hair-loss risk-benefit discussion is not covered by an approved label.	Topical products can cause scalp irritation and unwanted facial hair growth. Oral minoxidil is a vasodilator with cardiovascular effects and is not a casual supplement. The approved label lists warnings and side effects; this is not a complete safety profile.
Evidence gaps	Reliable prediction of who will respond. The natural history of reported persistent sexual adverse effects after stopping. Long-term outcomes beyond the trial periods.	Long-term hair outcomes in a United States regulatory context. The clinical significance of the greater DHT suppression. Persistent adverse effects after discontinuation.	Why some people respond and others do not. Long-term maintenance after stopping. Whether low-dose oral minoxidil has an acceptable long-term risk profile for cosmetic use.
Head-to-head evidence	Dutasteride and finasteride have been compared in trials and reviews, but dutasteride is not FDA-approved for hair loss in the United States.	Comparative trials and reviews exist, but they do not establish that dutasteride's greater DHT suppression produces a proportionally greater clinical benefit.	Oral minoxidil 5 mg was compared with topical 5% in a 2024 randomised trial and was not superior over 24 weeks.
Named pathways	5-alpha-reductase type II · DHT synthesis · Androgen receptor signalling	5-alpha-reductase type I · 5-alpha-reductase type II · DHT synthesis	Potassium channels · Vasodilation · Anagen prolongation
Evidence on file
Records	1Open evidence file	1Open evidence file	1Open evidence file
Human-interventional records	0	0	0
Human-observational records	0	0	0
Animal records	0	0	0
In-vitro records	0	0	0
Reviews	0	1	0
Regulatory documents	1	0	1
Earliest indexed	2022	2022	2006
Latest indexed	2022	2022	2006

Every identity and regulatory value above is taken from the compound’s record, where its sources are listed. Evidence counts are derived from the published evidence file at build time. A missing class means no document of that kind is indexed — not that none exists.

Overlapping pathways

Named in the mechanism discussion for at least two of these compounds: 5-alpha-reductase type II · DHT synthesis.

Shared biology is not shared evidence. No claim of synergy is made here, and overlapping pathways do not mean the compounds have been studied together.