Lanreotide Injection
Lanreotide Injection is a somatostatin analog used to treat acromegaly, certain gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), and carcinoid syndrome in adults.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 4 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
📖 Lanreotide Injection: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Lanreotide Injection — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Lanreotide Injection is a somatostatin analog approved for three distinct conditions in adults:
- Acromegaly: Long-term treatment for patients whose acromegaly has not responded adequately to surgery and/or radiation, or who cannot undergo those treatments. The goal is to normalize growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 levels.
- Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs): Treatment of adults with unresectable, well- or moderately-differentiated, locally advanced or metastatic GEP-NETs to improve progression-free survival (how long the disease stays stable without getting worse).
- Carcinoid syndrome: Treatment in adults to reduce how frequently short-acting somatostatin analog rescue medications are needed. Note: patients already receiving Lanreotide Injection for GEP-NETs should not receive an additional dose for carcinoid syndrome.
⚙️How it works▾
Lanreotide is a synthetic octapeptide that closely mimics the natural hormone somatostatin. It works by binding tightly to specific somatostatin receptors on cells — particularly receptor subtypes 2 and 5. This binding suppresses the release of growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 (a protein that promotes growth), which is the key mechanism in controlling acromegaly. It also inhibits other hormones and substances involved in tumor growth and the digestive symptoms of carcinoid syndrome.
Beyond hormones, lanreotide slows gallbladder contractions, affects insulin and glucagon release (which can alter blood sugar), and can modestly reduce heart rate — effects that are important to keep in mind during treatment.
💊How it's taken▾
Lanreotide Injection is given as a deep subcutaneous injection (under the skin into the upper outer buttock) by a healthcare provider, generally once every 4 weeks. For acromegaly, the dose may be adjusted after the first 3 months based on hormone levels and symptoms; well-controlled patients may be considered for an extended interval of every 6 or 8 weeks. For GEP-NETs and carcinoid syndrome, the standard schedule is once every 4 weeks.
- Patients with moderate or severe kidney or liver impairment who have acromegaly may start at a lower dose — follow your prescriber's guidance.
- The injection site should be alternated between the right and left buttock each time.
- There are no specific food restrictions; follow any instructions given by your healthcare provider.
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
The most commonly reported side effects with Lanreotide Injection include:
- Diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, flatulence, loose stools, vomiting, constipation
- Gallstones (cholelithiasis) — reported in about 20% of acromegaly patients in clinical studies
- Injection site reactions: pain, lump, hardness, or itching at the injection site (usually mild and more common early in treatment)
- Headache and dizziness
- Muscle and joint pain
- High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and, less commonly, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Slow heart rate (bradycardia) or high blood pressure
- Mild decrease in thyroid function (clinical hypothyroidism is rare)
Serious reactions to act on promptly include severe abdominal pain or jaundice (possible gallstone complications), significant changes in blood sugar, very slow or symptomatic heart rate, signs of a severe allergic reaction (swelling, hives, difficulty breathing), and new or worsening fatty/oily stools or unexplained weight loss.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Gallstones and gallbladder complications: Lanreotide reduces gallbladder movement and bile flow, leading to gallstone formation in some patients. Complications including gallbladder inflammation, bile duct problems, and pancreatitis have been reported. Periodic monitoring may be recommended, and the medication should be stopped if serious complications develop.
- Blood sugar changes: Lanreotide can cause both high and low blood sugar by affecting insulin and glucagon. Glucose monitoring is especially important when starting treatment or changing the dose, and diabetes medications may need to be adjusted.
- Slowed heart rate (bradycardia): Lanreotide can reduce heart rate. Use with extra care in patients who already have heart conditions or take medications that slow the heart. Seek medical attention if symptoms like dizziness or fainting develop.
- Thyroid function: Slight reductions in thyroid activity can occur. Thyroid tests are recommended if symptoms arise.
- Fat malabsorption (steatorrhea): Lanreotide can inhibit pancreatic enzymes and bile, leading to fatty/oily stools, bloating, and weight loss. Tell your doctor about any new or worsening digestive symptoms.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Lanreotide Injection can interact with several medications that are important to discuss with your prescriber or pharmacist:
- Insulin and oral diabetes medications: Lanreotide affects insulin and glucagon — blood sugar levels need monitoring and antidiabetic medication doses may need adjustment.
- Cyclosporine (immunosuppressant): Lanreotide may reduce cyclosporine absorption, potentially lowering its effectiveness — dose adjustment and blood level monitoring may be needed.
- Bromocriptine: Lanreotide may increase bromocriptine absorption, potentially raising its effects and side effects.
- Heart rate–slowing drugs (e.g., beta-blockers): Combining these with lanreotide can have an additive effect on slowing the heart — close monitoring and possible dose adjustment are needed.
- CYP3A4-metabolized drugs with a narrow safety margin (e.g., quinidine, terfenadine): Lanreotide may slow the liver's clearance of these drugs, increasing their levels in the blood and the risk of side effects — avoid if possible.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Allergy: Do not use Lanreotide Injection if you have ever had a serious allergic reaction — including anaphylaxis or angioedema (severe swelling) — to lanreotide.
- Diabetes or blood sugar issues: Blood glucose should be monitored carefully when starting or adjusting lanreotide, as it can cause both high and low blood sugar.
- Heart conditions: Tell your doctor about any heart rhythm disorders, especially bradycardia (slow heart rate) — extra caution is needed.
- Gallbladder disease: Inform your doctor if you have a history of gallstones or gallbladder problems.
- Kidney or liver impairment: Moderate or severe impairment may require a lower starting dose for acromegaly patients — discuss with your prescriber.
- Pregnancy: Animal studies showed potential harm to the fetus. There are very limited data in human pregnancies. Discuss risks with your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
- Breastfeeding: Women should not breastfeed during treatment with Lanreotide Injection or for 6 months after the last dose, due to potential risks to the infant including effects on blood sugar and heart rate.
- Fertility: Animal studies suggest lanreotide may reduce fertility in females — discuss this with your doctor if relevant.
- Children: Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
- Older adults: No major overall differences in safety have been seen, but dose selection should be careful given that older patients are more likely to have kidney, liver, or heart concerns.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
Lanreotide's primary measurable effect is a rapid, sustained reduction in growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 levels — effects that persist for at least 28 days after a single injection in acromegaly patients, and are dose-dependent. In patients with carcinoid syndrome, it reduces urinary levels of a tumor marker called 5-HIAA compared with placebo. Lanreotide also inhibits the secretion of several digestive hormones (including insulin, glucagon, gastrin, and cholecystokinin), slows gallbladder contractions, reduces pancreatic secretions, and can transiently affect blood sugar levels. It may also modestly suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and reduce prolactin levels with long-term use.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After a deep subcutaneous injection, lanreotide forms a depot (a slow-release reservoir) at the injection site. The drug gradually diffuses from this depot into surrounding tissue and then into the bloodstream, giving it a long half-life of 23 to 30 days — which is why a once-monthly injection is sufficient. Bioavailability after subcutaneous injection in healthy subjects averages roughly 70–78% depending on dose. Drug levels remain detectable and therapeutically relevant throughout the full 28-day dosing interval.
📦How to store it▾
Store SOMATULINE DEPOT in the refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F). Protect from light. Store in the original package.
📄 Written from Lanreotide Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Lanreotide Injection
13 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Lanreotide Injection in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Moderate · 12
- Minor · 1
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Lanreotide Injection — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What conditions does lanreotide actually treat? ▾
How is the injection given, and do I have to do it myself? ▾
What side effects should I actually expect? ▾
When should I call my doctor right away? ▾
Is it safe to breastfeed while taking this medication? ▾
Are there any medications I should tell my doctor about before starting? ▾
Is Lanreotide Injection available over the counter? ▾
When was Lanreotide Injection first available? ▾
Who makes Lanreotide Injection? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Lanreotide Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Lanreotide Injection comes
Lanreotide Injection is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Injection
How this form is used
- Used for the long-term treatment of acromegaly in patients who have not responded adequately to or cannot have surgery or radiation therapy
- Used to improve progression-free survival in adults with unresectable, well- or moderately-differentiated, locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs)
- Used to treat carcinoid syndrome in adults, reducing the need for short-acting rescue therapy
- Lanreotide Acetate and Somatuline Depot are each given as a deep subcutaneous injection into the upper outer area of the buttock by a healthcare provider
- Alternate the injection site between the right and left buttock with each administration
- Remove the pre-filled syringe from the refrigerator 30 minutes before injecting; inject the medication slowly over 20 seconds
- Do not touch or attempt to open the green needle shield on the device — it is a self-activating safety mechanism, not a removable cap
📊 Lanreotide Injection across the U.S. market
How Lanreotide Injection appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Lanreotide Injection is used
A general measure of how commonly Lanreotide Injection is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Lanreotide Injection is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Lanreotide Injection prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Lanreotide Injection ranks #1,048 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 34% of them.
Utilization by Lanreotide Injection product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
0.5 ML lanreotide 240 MG/ML Prefilled Syringe Most dispensed
Summed across the 3 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 749814
0.2 ML lanreotide 300 MG/ML Prefilled Syringe
Summed across the 1 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 749811
0.3 ML lanreotide 300 MG/ML Prefilled Syringe
Summed across the 1 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 749817
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Lanreotide Injection, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 5 of 15 listed Lanreotide Injection NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Lanreotide Injection products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Lanreotide Injection — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 60 mg/0.2 mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 60 mg/0.2 mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 90 mg/0.3 mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 90 mg/0.3 mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 120 mg/0.5 mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 120 mg/0.5 mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 60 mg/0.2 mL | Subcutaneous | Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 60 mg/0.2 mL | Subcutaneous | Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 90 mg/0.3 mL | Subcutaneous | Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 90 mg/0.3 mL | Subcutaneous | Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 120 mg/0.5 mL | Subcutaneous | Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 120 mg/0.5 mL | Subcutaneous | Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 60 mg/0.2 mL | Subcutaneous | Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 90 mg/0.3 mL | Subcutaneous | Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 120 mg/0.5 mL | Subcutaneous | Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 60 mg/0.2 mL | — | Synergy Health AST, LLC | DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING | View NDC → |
| 90 mg/0.3 mL | — | Synergy Health AST, LLC | DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING | View NDC → |
| 120 mg/0.5 mL | — | Synergy Health AST, LLC | DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING | View NDC → |
Showing 30 of 30 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 30 Lanreotide Injection NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Lanreotide Injection — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Lanreotide Injection in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Lanreotide Injection went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 68092 1 dose form · 3 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Prefilled Syringe RxCUI 749806No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.2 ML lanreotide 300 MG/MLRxCUI 7498110.3 ML lanreotide 300 MG/MLRxCUI 7498170.5 ML lanreotide 240 MG/MLRxCUI 749814
Look up RxCUI 68092 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Lanreotide Injection is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Lanreotide Injection belongs to the Somatostatin Analog class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 4 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Cipla USA Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.