Selective androgen receptor modulator

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are a class of drugs that selectively activate the androgen receptor in specific tissues, promoting muscle and bone growth while having less effect on male reproductive tissues like the prostate gland.

Non-selective steroidal drugs, called anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), have been used for various medical purposes, but their side effects limit their use. In 1998, researchers discovered a new class of non-steroidal compounds, the SARMs. These compounds selectively stimulate the androgen receptor, offering potent effects on bone and muscle to increase bone density and lean body mass while having minimal impact on reproductive tissues.

SARMs have been investigated in human studies for the treatment of osteoporosis, cachexia (wasting syndrome), benign prostatic hyperplasia, stress urinary incontinence, and breast cancer. As of 2023, there are no SARMs which have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency. Although adverse effects in clinical studies have been infrequent and mild, SARMs can cause elevated liver enzymes, reduction of HDL cholesterol levels, and hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) suppression, among other side effects.

Since the early twenty-first century, SARMs have been used in doping; they were banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2008. SARMs are readily available on internet-based gray markets and are commonly used recreationally to stimulate muscle growth.