Protein / target

Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor

FSHRP23945Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
7
Approved medicines
16
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Structure with Ligand

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor activity

Strongest disease association

ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Genetic evidence · score 0.90

Therapeutic maturity

Clinically validated target

7 approved medicines against this target

Druggability

Small molecule

Open Targets tractability · Structure with Ligand

Clinical development

7 approved

16 linked trials

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function

G protein-coupled receptor for follitropin, the follicle-stimulating hormone (PubMed:11847099, PubMed:24058690, PubMed:24692546). Through cAMP production activates the downstream PI3K-AKT and ERK1/ERK2 signaling pathways (PubMed:24058690)

Subcellular location

Cell membrane
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (22)

Domains & features

LRRNT

Gene Ontology

  • Ccell surface
  • Cendosome
  • Cmembrane
  • Cplasma membrane
  • Creceptor complex
  • Ffollicle-stimulating hormone receptor activity
  • FG protein-coupled peptide receptor activity
  • Fpeptide hormone binding
  • Padenylate cyclase-activating G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway
  • Pcellular response to follicle-stimulating hormone stimulus
  • Pfemale gamete generation
  • Pfemale gonad development

695 aa · 78 kDa · 4 isoforms

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

G protein-coupled signallingUniProt · GOKinase signallingGO
View supporting evidence

G protein-coupled signalling

  • ·G protein-coupled receptor for follitropin, the follicle-stimulating hormone (PubMed:118…
  • ·G protein-coupled peptide receptor activity
  • ·adenylate cyclase-activating G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway
  • ·G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway

Kinase signalling

  • ·positive regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signal transduction
View underlying pathways (2)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

FSHBCGATSHBGNASBMP15POMCADCYAP1GCGGDF9NPPAFSHR

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Drugs targeting this protein

1

Whether each drug engages this protein directly or through a complex, and how many other targets are recorded for it. Direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone
Narrow target profileAgonist

Follicle stimulating hormone receptor agonist

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

ChEMBL mechanism, action type and target identity. Open Targets clinical status and indications.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically — disease associations, drugs in development, tractability and safety, from Open Targets.

Strongest genetic associations

Human genetic evidence — the most direct causal link between this target and a disease.

ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome0.90

Genetic · overall 0.75

46,XX gonadal dysgenesis0.89

Genetic · overall 0.77

genetic non-acquired premature ovarian failure0.80

Genetic · overall 0.50

Highest-confidence therapeutic associations

Diseases where a drug acting on this target has already reached clinical development.

Infertility0.94

Clinical · overall 0.59

anovulation0.91

Clinical · overall 0.55

hypogonadotropic hypogonadism0.90

Clinical · overall 0.56

female infertility0.89

Clinical · overall 0.55

infertility disorder0.87

Clinical · overall 0.53

Highest overall evidence

Remaining associations by Open Targets' aggregated evidence score.

primary ovarian failure0.55

Clinical

hypogonadism0.50

Clinical

Show all associations
46,XX gonadal dysgenesis0.77
ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome0.75
Infertility0.59
hypogonadotropic hypogonadism0.56
anovulation0.55
primary ovarian failure0.55
female infertility0.55
infertility disorder0.53
hypogonadism0.50
genetic non-acquired premature ovarian failure0.50

Open Targets ranks 1,401 associations for this target and we store the top 10 by aggregated score. The long tail is largely literature co-mention and RNA-expression evidence, not evidence that this target drives those diseases.

Known drugs · 7 total

UROFOLLITROPINApproval

female infertility · infertility disorder · polycystic ovary syndrome

MENOTROPINSApproval

female infertility · hypogonadotropic hypogonadism · Infertility

FOLLITROPIN ALFAApproval

anovulation · hypogonadism · female infertility

FOLLITROPIN BETAApproval

anovulation · female infertility · infertility disorder

FOLLITROPINApproval

primary ovarian failure · hypogonadotropic hypogonadism · hypogonadism

CORIFOLLITROPIN ALFAApproval

Infertility · positive regulation of ovulation · ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

FOLLITROPIN DELTAApproval

anovulation · infertility disorder · Infertility

Tractability

SM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Druggable FamilyAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt SigP or TMHMMPR · Small Molecule BinderOC · Approved Drug

Clinical trials

16

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein.

Show remaining trials (10)

COMPLETED · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone · NCT01044862

RECRUITING · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone · NCT06414096

TERMINATED · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone · NCT00064987

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

Forefront confidence

Synthesis

Our own weighting of the evidence behind each disease association. Human genetics and clinical evidence count for most; literature co-mention counts for little, because two entities sharing an abstract is not evidence that one drives the other.

ovarian hyperstimulation syndromeWell supported
0.95
agreement 0.861.00
Genetic60%Clinical27%Animal model10%Literature3%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.75 · 4 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

46,XX gonadal dysgenesisWell supported
0.92
agreement 0.801.00
Genetic75%Animal model24%Literature1%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.77 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

genetic non-acquired premature ovarian failureWell supported
0.84
agreement 0.720.96
Genetic78%Animal model22%

Open Targets aggregate 0.50 · 2 independent evidence families

primary ovarian failureWell supported
0.77
agreement 0.640.89
Clinical65%Animal model30%Literature5%

Open Targets aggregate 0.55 · 3 independent evidence families

hypogonadotropic hypogonadismWell supported
0.75
agreement 0.620.88
Clinical74%Animal model25%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.56 · 3 independent evidence families

This ranking differs from Open Targets' own: re-weighting moves genetically-evidenced diseases above more heavily co-mentioned ones. The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the underlying per-type scores are shown above so the calculation can be checked.

What's happening now

12

Recent activity around this target, drawn from one canonical event stream. Every item is reached through a drug that targets this protein, so each event is news about that drug rather than about the protein directly.

  1. New publication2025-01-16
    Muscle-derived myostatin is a major endocrine driver of follicle-stimulating hormone synthesis.

    Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2025 · 27 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  2. New publication2024-12-24
    The satiety hormone cholecystokinin gates reproduction in fish by controlling gonadotropin secretion.

    eLife · 2024 · 10 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  3. New publication2024-11-01
    Clustering Identifies Subtypes With Different Phenotypic Characteristics in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

    The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024 · 15 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  4. New publication2024-07-01
    Follicle stimulating hormone controls granulosa cell glutamine synthesis to regulate ovulation.

    Protein & cell · 2024 · 23 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  5. New publication2024-05-26
    Hormone Regulation in Testicular Development and Function.

    International journal of molecular sciences · 2024 · 58 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  6. New publication2024-03-15
    Disturbed sex hormone milieu in males and females with major depressive disorder and low-grade inflammation.

    Journal of affective disorders · 2024 · 14 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  7. New publication2024-01-22
    The value of luteinizing hormone basal values and sex hormone-binding globulin for early diagnosis of rapidly progressive central precocious puberty.

    Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023 · 5 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  8. New publication2023-12-01
    Metabolic characteristics of obese patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a meta-analysis.

    Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology · 2023 · 7 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  9. New publication2023-11-04
    Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor (GnRHR) and Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism.

    International journal of molecular sciences · 2023 · 18 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  10. New publication2023-11-01
    Follicle-stimulating hormone orchestrates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of pancreatic islets.

    Nature communications · 2023 · 36 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  11. New publication2023-06-29
    Influence of Vitamin D on the Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome and Hormonal Balance in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

    Nutrients · 2023 · 14 citations · Europe PMC · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

  12. Regulatory approval2016-12-12

    Approval: Rekovelle (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via Follicle Stimulating Hormone

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.