Male factor infertility is a multifaceted problem that affects approximately 50% of couples suffering from infertility. Causes of male infertility include endocrine disturbances, gonadotoxins, genetic abnormalities, varicocele, malignancies, infections, congenital or acquired urogenital abnormalities, iatrogenic factors, immunological factors, and idiopathic reasons. There are a variety of treatment options for male infertility, depending on the underlying cause(s). These can include surgical treatments, medical/hormonal therapies, and assisted reproductive techniques (ART), which can be combined with surgical sperm retrieval (SSR) if necessary. In this review article, the pharmacological therapies for male infertility are grouped by their underlying causes. Some of these therapies are targeted and specific, while others are used empirically to treat idiopathic male infertility. This will include treatments to optimize infertility in patients who have hypogonadism, ejaculatory dysfunction, infections, or idiopathic male infertility. Finally, we will provide an overview of the future directions of pharmacological therapies for male infertility. Significance Statement Male infertility is a significant worldwide problem. Detailed knowledge of the pharmacological therapies available will ensure the prescription of appropriate therapy and avoid the use of unnecessary or harmful treatments.
Pharmacological reviews. 2024 Oct 21 [Epub ahead of print]
Amarnath Rambhatla, Rupin Shah, Germar M Pinggera, Taymour Mostafa, Widi Atmoko, Ramadan Saleh, Eric Chung, Taha Hamoda, Selahittin Cayan, Hyun Jun Park, Ates Kadioglu, Logan Hubbard, Ashok Agarwal
Department of Urology,, Henry Ford Health System, United States., Division of Andrology, Department of Urology,, Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre,, Mexico., Innsbruck Medical University, Austria., Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt., Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Indonesia., Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University,, Egypt., Urology, University of Queensland, Australia., King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia., University of Mersin School of Medicine, Turkey., Medical Research Institute of Pusan National University Hospital, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of., Istanbul University, Turkey., Thomas Jefferson University, United States., Global Andrology Forum, United States .