In vitro
Letrozole is a third generation inhibitor of aromatase with IC50 of 0.07-20 nM. Letrozole potently inhibits aromatase derived from a variety of different sources including human placental microsomes, particulate fractions of human breast cancer, rat ovarian microsomes, MCF-7 cells transfected with aromatase (MCF-7Ca), JEG-3 human choriocarcinoma cells, CHO cells, hamster ovarian tissue, and particulate fractions of human breast cancer with IC50 of 11, 2, 7, 0.07, 0.07, 1.4, 20 and 0.8 nM.