Advances in the design and discovery of drugs for the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia

Introduction: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common medical problem in nearly 80% of geriatric male population severely affecting the quality of life. Several strategies has been suggested in the past for the management of BPH, but only α-blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors are in clinical use. This review aims to give deep insight into advances in the design and discovery of newer chemical entities as ‘druggable' molecule for the management of BPH. Areas covered: In this review, the authors cover various classes of drugs that have shown their potential for management of BPH. These drugs include α-adrenergic antagonists, 5α-reductase inhibitors, phytochemical agents, phosphodiesterase inhibitor, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone antagonists and muscarinic receptor antagonists. Literature searches were carried out using Google Scholar, SciFinder and PubMed. Expert opinion: The exact etiology of BPH is unknown; however, several mechanisms may be involved in the progression of the disease. Besi...