Adrian Dobs from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: Finding New Ways to Treat Hypogonadism

There are many reasons that men have low or reduced testosterone. Treatment for the condition can require a variety of methods, and a recent study looked at a new way of delivering testosterone in pill form.

Adrian Dobs, MD, MHS, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pill form of delivery was a “new, novel” way to administer testosterone for hypogonadism. The condition of hypogonadism could be caused by primary testicular failure from trauma or radiation, or resulting from an issue with the pituitary gland — both of which can result in low testosterone levels.

The pill works by testosterone absorption through the lymphatic system and, therefor,e does not go directly into the liver. Patients received the pill orally twice a day for up to one year.

The present ways to administering testosterone are patch, gel or injection, so having a pill is “a nice option for a male to treat hypogonadism,” Dobs said, since a pill is easy to take. Compared to a patch or gel, which could be transferred to another body by touch, a pill provides a better option. After blood levels were measured, the researchers found that the testosterone levels increased without negative impact.

As the recent trial tested safety, additional studies could test the actual outcomes of increased testosterone levels on the men, Dobs said, such as whether it impacted bone density or muscle mass, for example.