Doxercalciferol, the active ingredient in Hectorol®, is a synthetic vitamin D₂ analog that undergoes metabolic activation in vivo to form 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₂ (1α,25-(OH)₂D₂), a naturally occurring, biologically active form of vitamin D₂. Hectorol is available as soft gelatin capsules containing 0.5 mcg or 2.5 mcg doxercalciferol. Each capsule also contains fractionated triglyceride of coconut oil, ethanol, and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The capsule shells contain gelatin, glycerin and titanium dioxide. In addition, the 0.5 mcg capsule shell contains yellow iron oxide and FD&C Red No. 40, and the 2.5 mcg capsule shell contains yellow iron oxide.

Doxercalciferol is a colorless crystalline compound with a calculated molecular weight of 412.66 and a molecular formula of C₂₈H₄₄O₂. It is soluble in oils and organic solvents, but is relatively insoluble in water. Chemically, doxercalciferol is (1α,3β,5Z,7E,22E)-9,10-secoergosta-5,7,10(19),22-tetraene-1,3-diol and has the following structural formula:

Other names frequently used for doxercalciferol are 1α-hydroxyvitamin D2, 1α-OH-D2, and 1α-hydroxyergocalciferol.

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