In late May or early June treatment activists learned that the only version of nandrolone currently available in the U.S. (brand name Deca Durabolin) was being discontinued. Soon we started hearing from patients whose pharmacies told them they could not find the drug. Nandrolone is approved for anemia due to renal insufficiency, but many doctors use it off label for AIDS wasting.^1,2,3 Usually the patients, doctors, and pharmacists had heard nothing about the drug going away. It just disappeared from the supply chain.

Nandrolone remains available in other countries. But because it is a controlled substance due to abuse by body builders, patients cannot import those products for personal use. Until three years ago there were lower-cost generic nandrolone products available in the U.S. Then they also disappeared with little notice.

Other anabolics that had also been used off label in AIDS have been discontinued -- and then later came back with an HIV label (FDA approval for the HIV use), but with a huge price increase, typically more than 10 times their former cost. We do not know if that will happen with nandrolone.

Activists have investigated and been told that a new generic nandrolone will be available after the July 4 weekend. But what we have heard so far is confusing and contradictory.

Recently we heard that a compounded version of nandrolone is available now.

Because the situation is unclear and rapidly changing, check Web sites of organizations that have been following this issue, including www.houstonbuyersclub.com, www.atac-usa.org, and www.medibolics.com for the latest information.

References

1. Sattler F.R., Jaque S.V., Schroeder E.T., and others. Effects of pharmacological doses of nandrolone decanoate and progressive resistance training in immunodeficient patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. April 1999; volume 84, number 4, pages 1268-1276.
2. Strawford A., Barbieri T., Neese R., and others. Effects of nandrolone decanoate therapy in borderline hypogonadal men with HIV-associated weight loss. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology. Feb. 1999; volume 20, number 2, pages 137-46.
3. Gold J., High H.A., Li Y., and others. Safety and efficacy of nandrolone decanoate for treatment of wasting in patients with HIV infection. AIDS. June 1996; volume 10, number 7, pages 745-52.

ISSN # 1052-4207

Copyright 2002 by John S. James. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used.

An HIVer's Guide to Metabolic Complications

---

This article was provided by AIDS Treatment News. It is a part of the publication AIDS Treatment News.