Common Drugs for Prostate Cancer: A Complete Guide to Hormone Therapy, Targeted Therapy & Chemotherapy

Common drugs for prostate cancer include androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs), PARP inhibitors, chemotherapy, PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy, immunotherapy, and bone-targeted therapies.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men worldwide and remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in men.

Treatment strategies vary by prostate cancer stage, including localized disease, mHSPC, nmCRPC, and mCRPC. Selecting the right prostate cancer medications based on disease stage and patient characteristics is essential.

In this guide, global pharmaceutical distributor DengYueMed provides a comprehensive overview of common drugs for prostate cancer, helping patients, healthcare professionals, and international pharmaceutical buyers better understand current treatment options.

What Are the Common Drugs for Prostate Cancer?

The common drugs for prostate cancer used in current clinical practice can generally be divided into the following categories:

The following sections provide a detailed overview of each treatment category.

1. Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT)

Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) is the foundation of treatment for most patients with advanced prostate cancer. Because prostate cancer cells rely on testosterone for growth, ADT suppresses androgen production, slowing tumor progression and improving disease control.

1.1 GnRH Agonists

GnRH agonists continuously stimulate pituitary GnRH receptors, eventually reducing testosterone to castration levels. They remain among the most widely used drugs for prostate cancer worldwide.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Leuprolide	Continuous stimulation of GnRH receptors, leading to testosterone suppression	Locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer	Injection (1-, 3-, or 6-month formulations)	Widely used with extensive long-term clinical experience
Goserelin	GnRH agonist	Locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer	Subcutaneous implant	Sustained drug release with good patient adherence
Triptorelin	GnRH agonist	ADT for prostate cancer	Intramuscular injection	Available in multiple long-acting formulations
Buserelin	GnRH agonist	Prostate cancer	Injection	Long history of clinical use

Suitable Patient Population

• Patients with locally advanced prostate cancer
• Patients with metastatic prostate cancer
• Patients receiving ADT in combination with radiotherapy

1.2 GnRH Antagonists

Compared with GnRH agonists, GnRH antagonists directly block GnRH receptors, rapidly reducing testosterone levels while avoiding the initial testosterone surge (flare) associated with GnRH agonists.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Degarelix	GnRH receptor antagonist	Advanced prostate cancer	Subcutaneous injection	Rapid testosterone suppression without flare
Relugolix	Oral GnRH receptor antagonist	Advanced prostate cancer	Oral	First oral ADT agent with convenient administration

2. Androgen Receptor Pathway Inhibitors (ARPIs)

In recent years, androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) have become an essential component of hormone therapy for prostate cancer. These agents directly block androgen receptor signaling and are widely used in patients with mHSPC, nmCRPC, and mCRPC.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Abiraterone	CYP17 inhibitor that reduces androgen synthesis	mHSPC, mCRPC	Oral	Requires concomitant corticosteroid therapy
Enzalutamide	Androgen receptor inhibitor	nmCRPC, mHSPC, mCRPC	Oral	Widely used across multiple disease stages
Apalutamide	Androgen receptor inhibitor	nmCRPC, mHSPC	Oral	Delays disease progression
Darolutamide	Androgen receptor inhibitor	nmCRPC, mHSPC	Oral	Lower incidence of central nervous system adverse effects and fewer drug interactions
Rezvilutamide	Androgen receptor inhibitor	mHSPC	Oral	Developed in China; used in combination with ADT for eligible patients.

Clinical Highlights

International clinical guidelines generally recommend combining ARPIs with ADT as first-line treatment for many patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

Compared with ADT alone, this strategy has been shown to improve progression-free survival and overall survival. As a result, ARPIs have become one of the common drugs for prostate cancer in modern treatment guidelines.

3. First-Generation Antiandrogens

First-generation antiandrogens work by blocking androgen receptors. Although newer ARPIs are now widely used, these prostate cancer medications continue to play an important role in combination with ADT, particularly for preventing the testosterone flare associated with the initiation of GnRH agonist therapy.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Bicalutamide	Androgen receptor blocker	Combination with ADT	Oral	Well-established clinical use
Flutamide	Androgen receptor blocker	Combination with ADT	Oral	Requires multiple daily doses
Nilutamide	Androgen receptor blocker	Adjuvant therapy following surgical castration	Oral	Less commonly used in current practice

4. PARP Inhibitors (Precision Targeted Therapy)

PARP inhibitors are an important form of targeted therapy for prostate cancer. They are primarily used in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who carry BRCA1, BRCA2, or other homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations.

By blocking DNA repair pathways, these agents selectively target tumor cells with defective DNA repair mechanisms.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Olaparib	PARP inhibitor	HRR-mutated mCRPC	Oral	Extensive clinical experience and guideline recommendation
Rucaparib	PARP inhibitor	BRCA-mutated mCRPC	Oral	Particularly suitable for patients with BRCA mutations
Talazoparib	PARP inhibitor	HRR-mutated prostate cancer	Oral	Commonly studied in combination with ARPIs
Niraparib	PARP inhibitor	Selected HRR-mutated patients	Oral	Ongoing clinical studies evaluating combination therapies

Before Starting Treatment

Patients are generally recommended to undergo BRCA1/2 or HRR genetic testing before receiving PARP inhibitors. Genetic testing helps identify patients who are most likely to benefit from these prostate cancer treatment drugs, supporting a precision medicine approach.

5. Chemotherapy

Although treatment options for prostate cancer have expanded significantly, chemotherapy drugs for prostate cancer remain an essential option for patients with rapidly progressing disease or castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Docetaxel	Microtubule inhibitor	mHSPC, mCRPC	Intravenous infusion	Standard first-line chemotherapy
Cabazitaxel	Microtubule inhibitor	After docetaxel failure	Intravenous infusion	Important second-line chemotherapy option
Mitoxantrone	Topoisomerase II inhibitor	Palliative treatment for advanced disease	Intravenous infusion	Primarily used for symptom control

Chemotherapy is often recommended for patients with a high tumor burden, rapidly progressing disease, or inadequate response to hormone therapy. Depending on the patient’s condition, chemotherapy may also be combined with other prostate cancer treatment options.

6. PSMA-Targeted Radioligand Therapy (RLT)

PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy represents one of the most significant recent advances in prostate cancer treatment.

This approach uses radioactive isotopes to selectively target prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-expressing tumor cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Lutetium (177Lu) Vipivotide Tetraxetan (¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617)	PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy	PSMA-positive mCRPC	Intravenous infusion	Precision treatment associated with improved survival outcomes

Patients typically undergo PSMA PET imaging before treatment to determine whether they are suitable candidates for this targeted therapy.

7. Immunotherapy

Although immunotherapy currently benefits only a relatively small proportion of patients, it remains an important treatment option for individuals with specific molecular characteristics.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Sipuleucel-T	Autologous cellular immunotherapy	Asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic mCRPC	Intravenous infusion	First therapeutic cancer vaccine for prostate cancer
Pembrolizumab	PD-1 inhibitor	MSI-H, dMMR, or TMB-H tumors	Intravenous infusion	Biomarker-driven immunotherapy

Patients with biomarkers such as MSI-H, dMMR, or high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H) may derive greater benefit from immunotherapy than unselected patients.

8. Bone-Targeted Supportive Therapy

More than 80% of patients with advanced prostate cancer may eventually develop bone metastases. Therefore, bone-targeted therapy plays an important role in reducing skeletal-related events and maintaining quality of life.

Generic Name	Mechanism of Action	Primary Indications	Route of Administration	Clinical Features
Denosumab	RANKL inhibitor	Bone metastases	Subcutaneous injection	Reduces the risk of skeletal-related events
Zoledronic Acid	Bisphosphonate	Bone metastases	Intravenous infusion	Inhibits bone resorption
Radium-223	Alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical	Bone metastatic mCRPC	Intravenous injection	Targets bone metastases and improves survival outcomes

Bone-targeted therapy is commonly integrated into the comprehensive management of advanced prostate cancer, particularly for patients with symptomatic bone metastases.

Summary of Common Drugs for Prostate Cancer

Treatment Category	Representative Drugs	Primary Indications
GnRH Agonists	Leuprolide, Goserelin, Triptorelin, Buserelin	Foundation of ADT
GnRH Antagonists	Degarelix, Relugolix	Foundation of ADT
Androgen Receptor Pathway Inhibitors (ARPIs)	Abiraterone, Enzalutamide, Apalutamide, Darolutamide, Rezvilutamide	mHSPC, nmCRPC, mCRPC
First-Generation Antiandrogens	Bicalutamide, Flutamide, Nilutamide	Combination with ADT
PARP Inhibitors	Olaparib, Rucaparib, Talazoparib, Niraparib	HRR- or BRCA-mutated mCRPC
Chemotherapy	Docetaxel, Cabazitaxel, Mitoxantrone	mHSPC, mCRPC
PSMA-Targeted Radioligand Therapy	Lutetium (177Lu) Vipivotide Tetraxetan (¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617)	PSMA-positive mCRPC
Immunotherapy	Sipuleucel-T, Pembrolizumab	Selected biomarker-positive patients
Bone-Targeted Therapy	Denosumab, Zoledronic Acid, Radium-223	Patients with bone metastases

The common drugs for prostate cancer continue to evolve with advances in precision medicine and targeted therapies. Treatment selection should be individualized based on disease stage, genetic testing results, prior therapies, and the patient’s overall health status.

About China Pharmaceutical Wholesaler DengYueMed

DengYueMed, headquartered in Hong Kong, is an international pharmaceutical distributor specializing in global pharmaceutical supply chain solutions. We provide professional international drug procurement services for hospitals, pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers, healthcare providers, and medical institutions worldwide.

Our portfolio covers oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune disorders, neurological diseases, chronic conditions, innovative medicines, originator drugs, generic medicines, and biologics.

Supported by a stable global supply network and an experienced professional team, DengYueMed continuously monitors the latest pharmaceutical innovations and international drug developments.

If you would like to learn more about the global availability or international procurement of common drugs for prostate cancer or other specialty medicines, please contact DengYueMed for additional product and partnership information.

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