abiraterone vs medroxyprogesterone
Side-by-side comparison of abiraterone and medroxyprogesterone Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Zytiga
Provera, Depo-Provera
Abiraterone (Zytiga) is a medicine used with prednisone to treat prostate cancer that has spread. It works by lowering the amount of androgen your body makes.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate injection is a medicine used to prevent pregnancy in women. It is given as a shot every 3 months.
Abiraterone is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is for cancers that are castration-resistant, meaning they no longer respond to hormone therapy alone. It is also used for high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer. You will take this medicine with prednisone.
This medicine is used to prevent pregnancy in women who are able to have children. It works by stopping ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). It is not recommended for long-term use (more than 2 years) unless other birth control options are not good enough for you.
Abiraterone blocks an enzyme called CYP17, which your body needs to make androgens. Androgens can help prostate cancer grow. By blocking this enzyme, abiraterone lowers androgen levels and slows cancer growth.
This medicine is a progestin, a synthetic form of the natural hormone progesterone. It prevents pregnancy mainly by stopping the release of an egg from your ovary. It also changes the lining of the uterus, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant.
- • Feeling tired
- • Joint pain
- • High blood pressure
- • Feeling sick to your stomach
- • Swelling
- • Irregular periods or spotting
- • No periods
- • Abdominal pain or discomfort
- • Weight gain (more than 10 pounds)
- • Dizziness
- Death 1,390
- Feeling tired 1,022
- Hot flash 678
- Weakness 562
- Worsening of disease 561
- Breast cancer in women 9,772
- Breast cancer 8,167
- Brain tumor (meningioma) 1,680
- Breast cancer that has spread 1,385
- Medicine not working 1,100
Abiraterone can cause problems with mineralocorticoid excess, like high blood pressure, low potassium, and fluid retention. If you have heart problems, your doctor will monitor you closely. This medicine can also cause liver problems, which can be severe. Your doctor will check your liver function regularly. Do not take abiraterone with radium Ra 223 dichloride. Abiraterone can harm an unborn baby, so men should use effective birth control if their partner can get pregnant.
This medicine can cause you to lose bone mineral density. The longer you use it, the more bone density you may lose. It is not known if this bone loss can be fully reversed. Using this medicine as a teenager or young adult may reduce your peak bone mass and increase your risk of osteoporosis later in life. Because of this risk, it is not recommended for long-term use (longer than 2 years) unless other birth control options are not adequate.
Abiraterone can cause harm to an unborn baby. Men who are taking abiraterone should use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 weeks after the last dose if their partner is able to get pregnant. It is not known if abiraterone passes into breast milk.
You should not use this medicine if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. Small amounts of this medicine can pass into breast milk.
How to Read This abiraterone vs medroxyprogesterone Comparison
abiraterone is classified in the CYP17 Inhibitor drug class, while medroxyprogesterone sits within the Progestogen class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, abiraterone has 4,213 submissions while medroxyprogesterone has 22,104. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between abiraterone and medroxyprogesterone — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.