What is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone, prasterone)?
The short answer
DHEA is a hormone made by the body's adrenal glands, and also made in a lab.
- 4 sources
- Status as of
- How we source
- Ellum doesn't sell peptides.
Get updates on DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone, prasterone)
What it is
- Type
- Adrenal steroid / androgen precursor (not a peptide)
- Also known as
- dehydroepiandrosterone, prasterone, dhea supplement, dhea cream
Regulatory status
FDA-approved (Rx) How we label status
As of October 4, 2026, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone, prasterone) is an FDA-approved prescription drug for moderate-to-severe dyspareunia due to menopause (prasterone vaginal insert).
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- Federal (FDA)
- Approved Rx as prasterone (Intrarosa NDA208470, 2016; vaginal insert for menopausal dyspareunia); also sold OTC as a supplement
- 503A compounding
- Approved-drug component (503B Category 1 '**') (as of May 14, 2026)
- WADA 2026
- S1.1 (named prasterone/DHEA)
References
Sources as of October 4, 2026
- DailyMed: dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm
- Federal Register: www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/12/16/05-23907/implementation-of-the-anabolic-steroid-control-act-of-2004
- FDA: www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
- WADA: www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf