What Should I Expect if I Start Taking Somatuline® Depot (lanreotide) Injection?
Acromegaly is a serious condition and Somatuline Depot is a serious medication, so it's important to understand that your body will probably have to get used to the medication after you start taking it.
In clinical studies with Somatuline Depot patients experienced side effects which may include diarrhea, abdominal pain and gall stones.1
To help you get the most out of your Somatuline Depot treatment, it is essential to stay on the injection schedule your endocrinologist prescribes. It will typically take at least 3 months to understand how the medicine is affecting your levels, so it's important not to miss or delay any of your injections.1
Your endocrinologist may begin your treatment with a 90 mg dose every 4 weeks and then may adjust the dosage.1* Patients with kidney or liver disease should begin treatment with Somatuline Depot 60 mg. It is very important for you to discuss your therapy with your endocrinologist so that he or she can adjust your dosage most effectively. Be sure to ask your doctor what dosage he or she thinks is right for you.
Determining the Appropriate Dose and Frequency with Somatuline Depot
Different patients require different dosing regimens. Because you'll be on acromegaly therapy over the long term, it's possible that your doctor may adjust your dosage and schedule at some point to maximize the benefit of your therapy.
Somatuline Depot is available in 3 strengths, 60 mg, 90 mg, and 120 mg. Endocrinologists typically start their patients at 90 mg every 4 weeks for the first 3 injections.1 Patients with moderate and severe renal and hepatic impairment should be started on Somatuline Depot 60 mg.
Once your levels have stabilized (usually after 3 injections), your endocrinologist may raise your dosage to 120 mg—or lower it to 60 mg—every 4 weeks, unless you have liver or kidney disease then you may be started on 60 mg, to help get the best possible response. Based on your response, your doctor may also decide to extend the time between injections, so that you might take Somatuline Depot 120 mg once every 6 or 8 weeks.1*
*"Controlled" is defined as GH ≤ 2.5 µg/mL, normalized IGF-1, and clinical symptoms controlled.
If you are controlled on Somatuline Depot 60 mg or 90 mg you may be considered for an extended dosing interval of Somatuline Depot 120 mg every 6 or 8 weeks. GH and IGF-1 levels should be obtained 6 weeks after this change in dosing regimen to evaluate persistence of patient response.
Individual response to any acromegaly therapy will vary from patient to patient. Ask your endocrinologist if Somatuline® Depot therapy is right for you.
Important Information About Somatuline Depot
Your doctor is your primary source of information about treatment. For more information, please talk to your doctor and see the full Patient Information. Before each treatment, please read the Patient Information that comes with each package of Somatuline Depot (lanreotide) Injection, as there may be new information.
Who is Somatuline Depot for?
Somatuline Depot is a prescription medicine used for the long-term treatment of people with acromegaly when:
- surgery or radiotherapy have not worked well enough or
- they are not able to have surgery or radiotherapy
It is not known if Somatuline Depot is safe and effective in children.
Before taking Somatuline Depot, you should talk to your doctor about all of your medical conditions and medicines you are taking, including if you have:
- Gallbladder, thyroid, heart, kidney, and liver problems
- Diabetes
- Are allergic to latex or natural dry rubber
- Are taking cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
- Are receiving medicines that lower heart rate such as beta-blockers
- Are taking a medicine called bromocriptine (Parlodel)
- Are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, breast-feeding, or plan to breast-feed, it is not known if Somatuline Depot could harm your unborn baby or passes into your breast milk
What are possible side effects of Somatuline Depot?
Somatuline Depot may cause serious side effects, including:
- Gallstones. Tell your doctor if you have any of these symptoms including: sudden pain in your upper right stomach area (abdominal), right shoulder or between your shoulder blades, yellowing of your skin and whites of your eyes, fever with chills, and/or nausea
- Changes in your blood sugar. Your doctor may change your dose of diabetes medicine especially when you first start receiving Somatuline Depot or if your dose of Somatuline Depot changes.
- Slow heart rate
- High blood pressure
The most common side effects of Somatuline Depot include: diarrhea, stomach area (abdominal) pain, nausea, and pain, itching, or lump at the injection site.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Somatuline Depot. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
