La tibolona es un fármaco esteroide sintético con propiedades estrogénicas., progestágeno, y acciones androgénicas débiles que se introdujo en 1988 y se utiliza ampliamente en Europa, Asia, Australasia, y, con excepción de estados unidos (donde no está disponible), el resto del mundo.
Se utiliza principalmente para el tratamiento de la endometriosis.,así como terapia de reemplazo hormonal en mujeres posmenopáusicas. Tibolone has similar or greater efficacy compared to older hormone replacement drugs, but shares a similar side effect profile.It has also been investigated as a possible treatment for female sexual dysfunction.
Tibolone is the first of a class of compounds known as the selective tissue oestrogenic activity regulators. It is structurally related to 19-nortestosterone derivatives and exhibits weak oestrogenic, progestogenic and androgenic activities. Tibolone itself has no biological activity. The diverse hormonal effects of tibolone result from the action of several key metabolites on various tissues.
Tibolone is primarily metabolised into δ4,3β-hydroxy and 3α-hydroxy isomers. These isomers have different binding affinities for oestrogen, progesterone and androgen receptors1. The 3α?hydroxy and 3β-hydroxy metabolites bind solely to the oestrogen receptor, whereas the δ4 isomer has affinity for the progesterone and androgen receptors, but not for the oestrogen receptor.