OMNITROPE (Somatropin)

What is this medication?

Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin)
Growth Hormone

Brand Name US: Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin, Nutropin, Omnitrope, Saizen, Serostim, Zomacton, Zorbtive
Brand Name Canada: Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin, Nutropin, Omnitrope, Saizen, Serostim

OMNITROPE (Somatropin) is indicated for treatment of growth failure, growth hormone deficiency, HIV-associated wasting, short bowel syndrome.

How does this medication work? 

OMNITROPE (Somatropin) is a purified polypeptide hormone of recombinant DNA origin which contains the same amino acid sequence as human growth hormone.  Human growth hormone is produced by the pituitary and binds to GH receptors on multiple different tissues in the body.  Human growth hormone is an anabolic hormone that promotes linear bone growth, protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.  Human growth hormone assists in partitioning nutrients towards anabolism by increasing lipolysis and decreasing lipogenesis while decreasing glucose intake and increasing hepatic glucose output through receptor upregulation and downregulation.  Human growth hormone also stimulates erythropoietin which increases red blood cell mass; exerts both insulin-like and diabetogenic effects; enhances the transmucosal transport of water, electrolytes, and nutrients across the gut.

How should I take this medication? 

SQ: Inject an initial dose of 0.04mg/kg/week subcutaneously; dose can be increased at 4 and 8 week intervals to a maximum of 0.08mg/kg/week.

How to Take: Never shake the vial, prefilled pen, cartridge.  Administer the injection subcutaneously and rotate the injection sites (back of upper arm, abdomen, buttock, or thigh) to avoid tissue atrophy.  Always use the dose prescribed and adjust the dose based on individual requirements to minimize adverse events.  For weight-based dosing, obese patients are more likely to experience adverse effects when treated with a weight-based regimen.

What should I watch for while using this medication? 

OMNITROPE (Somatropin) can cause transient fluid retention, use with caution in arthralgia, myalgia, nerve compression syndromes. Somatropin can also decrease insulin sensitivity and exacerbate type 2 diabetes mellitus. Use with caution in patients with intracranial hypertension. Do not use in patients with an active neoplasm, critical illness.

What if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for the next scheduled dose, do not use extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.

How should I store this medication?

Before use, keep OMNITROPE (Somatropin) cartridges and loaded pens in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C). Once a cartridge has been loaded into the pen, it should not be removed until it is empty or 28 days have passed since its first use. To protect medicine from light, keep cartridges in their original packaging until a cartridge is loaded into the pen. Do not freeze.

What are the possible side effects of using this medication?

Peripheral edema, facial edema, edema, lower extremity edema, pain, hypoesthesia, headache, paresthesia, hypothyroidism, elevated glycosylated hemoglobin, eosinophilia, nausea, flatulence, abdominal pain, vomiting, antibody development, infection, pain at injection site, injection site reaction, arthralgia, arthropathy, myalgia, scoliosis, limb pain, swelling of extremities, ostealgia, otitis media, upper respiratory tract infection.

Note this is not a complete list of side effects for OMNITROPE (Somatropin), only common ones.