Somatropin
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Overview
Somatropin is recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) produced by recombinant DNA technology. It is a 191-amino-acid polypeptide with a molecular weight of 22,124 daltons and an amino acid sequence identical to growth hormone of human pituitary origin. It is the compound most people mean by "HGH": growth hormone itself, supplied as a prescription biologic, rather than one of the secretagogues that prompt the pituitary to release its own. Somatropin is approved by the FDA and marketed in the United States under several brand names, including Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin and Zomacton. Approved uses span pediatric growth failure from several causes and growth hormone deficiency in adults. It is given by subcutaneous injection, typically daily, under specialist endocrine supervision with dose titration against growth response, IGF-I concentrations and tolerability. Somatropin occupies unusual legal ground in the United States. Beyond ordinary prescription-drug rules, federal law makes it a felony to knowingly distribute human growth hormone, or possess it with intent to distribute, for any use other than a disease or recognized medical condition authorized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and prescribed by a physician.
Reported benefits
In labeled use, somatropin increases linear growth in children with growth failure from growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, small size for gestational age and idiopathic short stature. In adults with diagnosed growth hormone deficiency, professional guidelines describe benefits in body composition, exercise capacity, skeletal integrity and quality-of-life measures, with the largest benefit in the most severely deficient patients.
Protocols & dosing
Typical dosage: 0.16-0.24 mg/kg/week (pediatric growth hormone deficiency); about 0.2 mg/day (adult growth hormone deficiency) (daily subcutaneous injection).
Detailed dosing protocols have not yet been catalogued.
FDA & legal status
Somatropin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for one or more clinical indications. Refer to the prescribing information for full safety and dosing details.
| Country | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | FDA approved |
| United Kingdom | Prescription-only / not licensed |
| Canada | Prescription-only / Schedule F if licensed |
| Australia | TGA-scheduled |
Vendor information
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Side effects & safety
Reported side effects: Fluid retention, edema, arthralgia and carpal tunnel syndrome are common in adults. Labeled warnings include glucose intolerance and new-onset diabetes, intracranial hypertension, slipped capital femoral epiphysis and scoliosis progression in children, hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, pancreatitis and hypersensitivity reactions.
References
No external sources have been catalogued for this article yet.
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