Fertility medication may in a larger sense include any medication that enhances fertility, but in a specific sense consists of agents that stimulate follicle development of the ovary.
Classification
Agents that enhance ovarian activity can be classified as follows.
- Gonadotropin releasing hormone
- GnRH
- GnRH agonists (i.e.Lupron ®)
- Estrogen antagonists
- Clomiphene citrate (actually a SERM)
- Aromatase inhibitors
- Gonadotropins
- Urinary gonadotropins (menotropins)
- Pergonal ®
- Prurified menotropins
- Recombinant gonadotropins
- FSH (Follistim ®, Gonal F ®)
- LH (Luveris ®)
- human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
- Urinary hCG
- Recombinant hCG (Ovidrel ®)
Estrogen antagonists and gonadotropins may stimulate multiple follicles leading to multiple birth and possible ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.