Enclomiphene
Enclomiphene is the trans-isomer of clomiphene citrate that is not FDA-approved as a standalone drug in the United States — its branded application (Androxal) received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA and was never brought to market — so it is currently available only off-label through compounding pharmacies.
This page is a research-orientation summary, not a dosing guide. For anything beyond general background, read the primary literature or talk to a qualified clinician — specifics like amount, frequency, or administration aren't something we publish here.
What it does & how it works
Enclomiphene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that acts primarily as an estrogen receptor antagonist at the hypothalamus and pituitary. By blocking estrogen's negative feedback at these sites, it increases pulsatile GnRH release, which raises pituitary LH and FSH secretion; the resulting rise in LH drives increased testicular Leydig cell testosterone production. Because it stimulates the body's own gonadotropin output rather than supplying exogenous hormone, it differs mechanistically from testosterone replacement therapy.
Typical results seen in research
In clinical trials, enclomiphene has raised serum testosterone into the normal range in men with secondary (hypogonadotropic) hypogonadism while better preserving sperm concentration and testicular volume than topical testosterone gel, reflecting its mechanism of stimulating rather than replacing endogenous hormone production. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials found clomiphene/enclomiphene effectively increases testosterone and LH/FSH in hypogonadal men, though data on long-term outcomes remain more limited than for approved testosterone therapies. All such use in the U.S. is investigational or off-label rather than FDA-approved.
How it’s commonly used
Enclomiphene is taken orally, typically as a tablet or capsule obtained from a compounding pharmacy under prescription, generally as part of an ongoing hormone-monitoring protocol rather than a fixed over-the-counter regimen.
- Fertility and Sterility · 2014 Enclomiphene citrate stimulates testosterone production while preventing oligospermia: a randomized phase II clinical trial comparing topical testosterone
- Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2025 Clomiphene or enclomiphene citrate for the treatment of male hypogonadism: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Curated from published literature for research orientation. Not an exhaustive review, and not a substitute for reading primary sources.