Head to head
Leuprolide against Triptorelin
Two GnRH agonists used for the same indications. In a pooled analysis of 920 men, 91 to 93 percent on triptorelin held testosterone below 20 ng per dL from month 3 onward, and both cause a testosterone flare in the first days, which is the clinical reason the antagonists exist.
Column A
LeuprolideLeuprolide (GnRH agonist)
A prescription medicine, not a research peptide: a GnRH agonist in clinical use since the 1980s and FDA-approved as Lupron for prostate cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and central precocious puberty.
Column B
TriptorelinTriptorelin (Trelstar, Triptodur, Decapeptyl), GnRH receptor agonist
A decapeptide GnRH agonist approved in the United States in 2000 for advanced prostate cancer and in 2017 for central precocious puberty. In a pooled analysis of 920 men, 91 to 93 percent held testosterone below 20 ng/dL from month 3 onward. It causes a testosterone flare in the first days of treatment, which is the clinical reason the antagonists exist.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| Attribute | Leuprolide | Triptorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hormone | Hormone |
| FDA status | FDA-approved (Lupron) | FDA-approved. Trelstar under NDA 020715 on 15 June 2000 for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, with additional formulations approved in 2001 and 2010. Triptodur under NDA 208956 on 29 June 2017 for central precocious puberty in children aged two and older. Not approved in the United States for endometriosis, for fertility protocols, or for any use in healthy adults. |
| Half-life | ~3 hours (depot lasts months) | Governed by release from the depot rather than by plasma clearance. Suppression is maintained across the labelled injection interval, and the one, three and six month formulations differ in how long that interval is. |
| Molecular weight | 1,209.4 Da | About 1311 Da for the free peptide. A decapeptide. |
| Mechanism | Continuous GnRH receptor stimulation desensitizes the pituitary, sharply reducing LH, FSH, and downstream sex hormones. | Continuous rather than pulsatile occupancy of the GnRH receptor on pituitary gonadotrophs. Physiological GnRH arrives in pulses, and the receptor requires that rhythm to keep signalling. Sustained exposure from a depot formulation first stimulates the receptor, producing a surge of luteinising hormone and therefore of testosterone or oestradiol over the first days, then desensitises and downregulates it. Gonadotrophin output falls, and gonadal steroid production follows it down to castrate levels within roughly two to four weeks. The suppression is reversible on stopping, though recovery can be slow after prolonged use. |
| Human studies cited | 2 | 4 |
| Legal status, US | FDA-approved, prescription only | FDA-approved, prescription only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Leuprolide and Triptorelin?
Leuprolide: A prescription medicine, not a research peptide: a GnRH agonist in clinical use since the 1980s and FDA-approved as Lupron for prostate cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and central precocious puberty. Triptorelin: A decapeptide GnRH agonist approved in the United States in 2000 for advanced prostate cancer and in 2017 for central precocious puberty. In a pooled analysis of 920 men, 91 to 93 percent held testosterone below 20 ng/dL from month 3 onward. It causes a testosterone flare in the first days of treatment, which is the clinical reason the antagonists exist.
Which has stronger research evidence, Leuprolide or Triptorelin?
This database does not grade compounds. It counts what was run in people: 2 of the 2 studies cited on the Leuprolide profile were human work, against 4 of 4 for Triptorelin. Those counts are of our own citation lists and understate any larger literature, and neither is a recommendation.
Are Leuprolide and Triptorelin FDA-approved?
Leuprolide: FDA-approved (Lupron). Triptorelin: FDA-approved. Trelstar under NDA 020715 on 15 June 2000 for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, with additional formulations approved in 2001 and 2010. Triptodur under NDA 208956 on 29 June 2017 for central precocious puberty in children aged two and older. Not approved in the United States for endometriosis, for fertility protocols, or for any use in healthy adults..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page sets two published records side by side. It is educational, it is not medical advice, and it contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use.