Methyltestosterone is an anabolic steroid hormone used to treat men with a testosterone deficiency. It is also used in women to treat breast cancer, breast pain, swelling due to pregnancy, and with the addition of estrogen it can treat symptoms of menopause. The effects of testosterone in humans and other vertebrates occur by way of two main mechanisms: by activation of the androgen receptor (directly or as DHT), and by conversion to estradiol and activation of certain estrogen receptors. Free testosterone (T) is transported into the cytoplasm of target tissue cells, where it can bind to the androgen receptor, or can be reduced to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the cytoplasmic enzyme 5α-reductase. DHT binds to the same androgen receptor even more strongly than T, so that its androgenic potency is about 2.5 times that of T. The T-receptor or DHT-receptor complex undergoes a structural change that allows it to move into the cell nucleus and bind directly to specific nucleotide sequences of the chromosomal DNA. The areas of binding are called hormone response elements (HREs), and influence transcriptional activity of certain genes, producing the androgen effects. Methyltestosterone is marketed under the brand names Android, Androral, Metandren, Oraviron, Testred, Virilon.

Dromostanolone Propionate (known by the brand names Masteron and Drolban) was invented by Syntex in 1959. About 10 years later it was released on the American market by Lilly as brand name Drolban. The drug was first approved in the USA for use as a treatment of female breast cancer. However, the profile of side-effects included pronouncement of male characteristics in women and when more effective breast cancer treatments came to market drostanolone was gradually phased out. No longer used clinically dromostanolone propionate became very popular in the bodybuilding community. Today dromostanolone propionate remains on the list of approved medications, but it is not being manufactured or sold by pharmaceutical companies. It is still produced illegally by underground labs for use in the bodybuilding community.