Quinagolide – a valuable treatment option for hyperprolactinaemia

Abstract

Hyperprolactinaemia is characterised by gonadal dysfunction, including infertility and reduced libido and, if left untreated, is associated with an increased risk of long-term complications, such as osteoporosis. The first-line therapy for patients with hyperprolactinaemia is pharmacological intervention with a dopamine agonist. Currently, there are three dopamine agonists available for hyperprolactinaemia therapy: bromocriptine, quinagolide and cabergoline. Bromocriptine has a long history of use; however, a range of 5–18% of patients are reported to show bromocriptine resistance, with only partial lowering of plasma prolactin levels and an absence of tumour shrinkage. The newer dopamine agonists, quinagolide and cabergoline, offer improved efficacy over bromocriptine, with a lower incidence of adverse events. Quinagolide and cabergoline have also demonstrated efficacy in many patients intolerant or resistant to bromocriptine. Thus, the selection of dopamine agonists available provides more than one option for pharmacological intervention of hyperprolactinaemia. This review discusses the clinical use of quinagolide in comparison to other dopamine agonists for hyperprolactinaemia therapy. Quinagolide may improve patient compliance to treatment owing to its reduced side effect profile, simple and rapid titration over just 7 days, once-daily dosing regimen and easy to use starter pack (available in some countries). Quinagolide offers an additional benefit for patients wishing to become pregnant, as it can be used until the point of confirmation of pregnancy. Therefore, as a well tolerated and effective therapy, with a simple dosing regimen, quinagolide should be considered as a first-line therapy in the treatment of hyperprolactinaemia.