Benjamin Lowentritt, MD, reviews real-world testosterone recovery data with relugolix

In the following interview, Benjamin H. Lowentritt, MD, FACS, discusses findings from the OPTYX study, a prospective real-world analysis evaluating testosterone suppression and recovery among patients with prostate cancer treated with relugolix.¹ These results were presented at the 2026 American Urological Association Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Lowentritt is a urologist at Chesapeake Urology in Towson, Maryland.

OPTYX (NCT05467176) enrolled nearly 1000 patients who initiated treatment with relugolix, providing the first prospective, long-term observational study of the oral androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The analysis presented at AUA 2026 focused on patients with at least 6 months of follow-up data and demonstrated sustained testosterone suppression during treatment. At 6 months following the initiation of relugolix treatment, 92.3% of patients achieved testosterone levels <50 ng/dL, and 69.7% achieved testosterone levels <20 ng/dL. According to Lowentritt, these findings closely mirror the efficacy observed in the HERO trial and reinforce relugolix’s ability to achieve rapid and durable androgen suppression in routine clinical practice.

The study also evaluated testosterone recovery after treatment discontinuation, an outcome that Lowentritt described as particularly important for patients receiving finite courses of ADT. Among patients with documented baseline testosterone levels and post-treatment follow-up, mean testosterone levels recovered to 214.5 ng/dL at 3 months and 267.1 ng/dL at 6 months after stopping relugolix.

Lowentritt emphasized that testosterone recovery is clinically relevant across multiple patient populations, particularly those receiving temporary ADT in conjunction with radiation therapy or intermittent treatment strategies. In these settings, restoration of endogenous testosterone may help mitigate long-term adverse effects associated with prolonged androgen suppression, including potential impacts on bone and cardiovascular health. Although additional analyses are planned to better characterize outcomes across different patient subgroups, Lowentritt said the current findings provide reassurance that testosterone recovery following relugolix discontinuation in real-world practice is consistent with results reported in the HERO trial, supporting its use when rapid suppression and subsequent recovery of testosterone are desired treatment goals.

REFERENCE

1. Lowentritt BH, Dorff T, McKay RR, et al. IP38-21: TESTOSTERONE SUPPRESSION AND RECOVERY IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER TREATED WITH RELUGOLIX: AN INTERIM ANALYSIS OF THE OPTYX STUDY. J Urol. 2026;215(5S):e799. doi:0.1097/01.JU.0001191508.89690.7a.21