[5] It was withdrawn in 1962 due to severe adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting, vision loss due to irreversible cataracts, alopecia, skin disorders (e.g., dryness, itching, peeling, and "fish-scale" texture), and accelerated atherosclerosis.

[2] Unlike statins, triparanol does not inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis,[2] and in contrast to triparanol, statins can lower cholesterol levels without resulting in accumulation of intermediates like desmosterol.

[2] Estrogen is known to lower cholesterol levels, but produces side effects like gynecomastia and decreased libido in men.

[3] It was hoped that a drug could be developed that lacked overt estrogenic effects but still lowered cholesterol levels.

[3] Triparanol is a triphenylethanol and was derived from chlorotrianisene (TACE), a nonsteroidal triphenylethylene estrogen.