Leuprolide vs Triptorelin
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
Two drugs that switch on the GnRH signal, used for the same things. In a review pooling 920 men, 91 to 93 percent on triptorelin kept testosterone below 20 ng per dL from month 3 on. Both cause a testosterone surge in the first days, which is the medical reason the blocking drugs exist.
- Leuprolide people
- 199
- Leuprolide nulls
- 0
- Triptorelin people
- 1,388
- Triptorelin nulls
- 0
Dose
Approved medicine. No human dose established for unlabelled uses
Labeled amounts sit on the prescribing information. This page records what trials measured, not a personal dose.
FDA-approved (Lupron)
Dose
Approved medicine. No human dose established for unlabelled uses
Labeled amounts sit on the prescribing information. This page records what trials measured, not a personal dose.
FDA-approved. Trelstar was approved under NDA 020715 on 15 June 2000, to control (not cure) advanced prostate cancer. More versions were approved in 2001 and 2010. Triptodur was approved under NDA 208956 on 29 June 2017 for puberty that starts too early because of a signal from the brain, in children aged two and older. Not approved in the United States for endometriosis, for fertility treatment, or for any use in healthy adults.
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
LeuprolideLeuprolide (GnRH agonist)
A prescription medicine, not a research peptide. It has been used since the 1980s and is FDA-approved as Lupron for prostate cancer, endometriosis, fibroids and puberty that starts too early.
Column B
TriptorelinTriptorelin (Trelstar, Triptodur, Decapeptyl), GnRH receptor agonist
A hormone-lowering shot approved in the US in 2000 for advanced prostate cancer, and in 2017 for children who start puberty far too early. In a pooled look at 920 men, about nine in ten kept testosterone below 20 ng/dL from month 3 on. It causes a short burst of testosterone in the first days. That burst is the reason the blocker drugs exist.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Leuprolide | Triptorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hormone | Hormone |
| FDA status | FDA-approved (Lupron) | FDA-approved. Trelstar was approved under NDA 020715 on 15 June 2000, to control (not cure) advanced prostate cancer. More versions were approved in 2001 and 2010. Triptodur was approved under NDA 208956 on 29 June 2017 for puberty that starts too early because of a signal from the brain, in children aged two and older. Not approved in the United States for endometriosis, for fertility treatment, 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. |
| How it works | A steady signal on the GnRH receptor wears out the pituitary gland's response. That sharply lowers LH, FSH and the sex hormones they control. | The body releases GnRH in pulses, and the receptor needs that rhythm to keep working. A slow-release shot keeps the receptor switched on all the time instead. At first that causes a surge of hormones, and testosterone or estrogen rises over the first days. Then the receptor wears out and pulls back. Hormone output falls, and testosterone or estrogen drops to castration levels within about two to four weeks. It wears off after stopping, though recovery can be slow after long use. |
| Studies in people | 2 | 4 |
| Evidence | Moderate: 2 completed trials, 199 people given it | Strong: 4 completed trials, 1,388 people given it |
| 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. It has been used since the 1980s and is FDA-approved as Lupron for prostate cancer, endometriosis, fibroids and puberty that starts too early. Triptorelin: A hormone-lowering shot approved in the US in 2000 for advanced prostate cancer, and in 2017 for children who start puberty far too early. In a pooled look at 920 men, about nine in ten kept testosterone below 20 ng/dL from month 3 on. It causes a short burst of testosterone in the first days. That burst is the reason the blocker drugs exist.
Which has stronger research evidence, Leuprolide or Triptorelin?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Leuprolide is Moderate (2 completed trials, 199 people given it). Triptorelin is Strong (4 completed trials, 1,388 people given it). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Leuprolide and Triptorelin FDA-approved?
Leuprolide: FDA-approved (Lupron). Triptorelin: FDA-approved. Trelstar was approved under NDA 020715 on 15 June 2000, to control (not cure) advanced prostate cancer. More versions were approved in 2001 and 2010. Triptodur was approved under NDA 208956 on 29 June 2017 for puberty that starts too early because of a signal from the brain, in children aged two and older. Not approved in the United States for endometriosis, for fertility treatment, or for any use in healthy adults..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.