Pharmacokinetic evaluation of lanreotide.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: Acromegaly is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease in adults related to excessive production of growth hormone (GH) by pituitary gland tumors and characterized by progressive somatic disfigurement that is associated with systemic manifestations related to organ overgrowth. Somatostatin analogs (SSAs) are effective in controlling GH/IGF-1 hypersecretion and in reducing tumor size. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: We review and compare the pharmacokinetic and clinical efficacy of lanreotide, the second SSA available in the market, in its different formulations. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: This article concisely reviews the rationale of SSA treatment in acromegaly and the pharmacology and clinical efficacy of lanreotide and provides a detailed overview of its pharmacokinetic profiles in its slow release (SR) and autogel (ATG) formulations. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Lanreotide is an effective and well-tolerated drug for the treatment of acromegaly. Lanreotide ATG has a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile than lanreotide SR, which permits administration once every 28 - 56 days given deep subcutaneously and by self-injection rather than intramuscular injection every 7 - 14 days. In well-designed clinical trials, subcutaneous lanreotide ATG was shown to be no less effective than intramuscular lanreotide SR or octreotide treatment.