Degarelix (brand name Firmagon), a new gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist drug, has been approved for use in the United States for advanced, hormone sensitive prostate cancer.
Manufactured by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, USA, the drug is available in parenteral form and is injected into the tissues. It works by blocking the release of gonadotropins from the pituitary and thus reducing the levels of prostate specific antigent and testosterone that stimulate the growth of the tumor cells.