- d aily ▁dos ing , ▁and ▁for ▁this ▁reason , ▁fl ut am ide ▁is ▁instead ▁admin ister ed ▁three ▁times ▁daily ▁at ▁ 8 - hour ▁intervals . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁newer ▁NS A As ▁nil ut am ide , ▁b ical ut am ide , ▁and ▁en z al ut am ide ▁all ▁have ▁much ▁longer ▁half - l ives , ▁and ▁this ▁allows ▁for ▁once - d aily ▁administration ▁in ▁their ▁cases . ▁ ▁Chem istry ▁Un like ▁the ▁h orm ones ▁with ▁which ▁it ▁compet es , ▁fl ut am ide ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁ster oid ; ▁rather , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁subst it uted ▁an il ide . ▁Hence , ▁it ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁non st ero idal ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁distinguish ▁it ▁from ▁older ▁ster oid al ▁anti and rog ens ▁such ▁as ▁cy pro ter one ▁ac et ate ▁and ▁meg est rol ▁ac et ate . ▁ ▁Syn thesis ▁ ▁History ▁Fl ut am ide ▁was ▁first ▁synth es ized ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁by ▁N eri ▁and ▁colle agues ▁at ▁Sch ering ▁Pl ough ▁Corporation . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁synth es ized ▁as ▁a ▁b acter i ost atic ▁agent , ▁but ▁was ▁subsequently , ▁and ▁ser end ip it ously ▁found ▁to ▁possess ▁anti andro gen ▁activity . ▁The ▁code ▁name ▁of ▁fl ut am ide ▁during ▁development ▁was ▁S CH - 1 3 5 2 1 . ▁C lin ical ▁research ▁of ▁the ▁medic ation ▁began ▁in ▁