Hormone Science, Reimagined
A small change creates a big leap forward. Designed to keep what works and remove what limits
Our Innovation
Meet d3-Testosterone: A Molecular Reinvention
The aromatization of testosterone has historically limited where testosterone therapy can responsibly be used. d3-T (AVA-291) has the potential to address this limitation at the molecular level by creating a differentiated androgen.
d3-T is a novel, structurally identical form of testosterone where select hydrogen molecules have been substituted with deuterium. d3-T is designed to retain T’s androgen activity while resisting aromatization, addressing a significant barrier in T replacement therapy. The aromatization of T is linked with potential safety and tolerability concerns – the development of gynecomastia in men and the development or recurrence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
d3-T is an investigational, next-generation testosterone designed to reduce aromatization without sacrificing androgen efficacy.
How It Works
Built on Testosterone Biology. Redesigned for What Comes Next.
d3-T has been designed to resist aromatization while leaving the remaining metabolic pathways of T unaffected.
Testosterone is naturally converted into estradiol in the body by the aromatase enzyme. Aromatase is expressed locally in various tissues, most highly in adipose tissue. The role of the conversion of T to estradiol (E2) and its association with breast cancer is not completely understood, but a primary treatment for estrogen receptor+ (ER+) breast cancer is a drug class called aromatase inhibitors. A prior program to develop T for postmenopausal women showed a breast cancer signal.
d3-T has demonstrated the following preclinical and early clinical characteristics:
- High resistance to aromatization to estradiol (E2)
- Comparable androgen receptor translocation activity to T
- A metabolic profile similar to T except for estradiol formation
- Demonstrated direct substitution for T in a small human pharmacology study
d3-T is first-in-class, non-aromatizing androgen at the clinical stage of development with the potential to advance hormone treatment
Early Results & Research
Promising in vitro Data
d3-T is a novel molecule that has demonstrated promising data in vitro:
- Highly resistant to aromatization
- Proven androgen receptor engagement in vitro
- Early in vitro studies show a drastically reduced risk for inducing breast cancer cell proliferation compared with T
- Patent-protected through 2041
These findings support continued investigation of d3-T as a differentiated androgen in for clinical development.
