When you start treatment with Eligard, your doctor will recommend how long to take the drug. In many cases, you may take Eligard for a long period of time.Although Eligard doesn’t treat advanced prostate cancer, it may help manage your symptoms and decrease side effects that the cancer can cause. Clinical trials of leuprolide acetate, the active drug in Eligard, have shown it to be effective for up to 7 years in people with prostate cancer. For more on the effectiveness of Eligard, see the “Eligard for prostate cancer” section below.Your doctor will help you determine how long you should take Eligard. It’s possible they may recommend you take Eligard as a long-term therapy.