somatrogon

Contraindicated in:

Hypersensitivity;
Acute critical illness secondary to complications of open heart surgery, abdominal surgery or trauma or those with acute respiratory failure (↑ risk of mortality);
Closure of epiphyses;
Active malignancy (↑ risk of progression);
Diabetic retinopathy;
Prader-Willi syndrome with obesity and respiratory impairment (↑ risk of mortality).

Use Cautiously in:

History of GH disorder due to previous intracranial neoplasm (↑ risk of secondary neoplasm);
Diabetes (may cause insulin resistance);
Obesity, Turner syndrome, or family history of diabetes mellitus;
Undiagnosed/untreated hypothyroidism;
Scoliosis;
OB: Safety not established in pregnancy;
Lactation: Safety not established in breastfeeding;
Pedi: Children <3 yr (safety and effectiveness not established).

Adv. Reactions/Side Effects ⬆ ⬇

CV: edema

Derm: rash

EENT: nasopharyngitis, oropharyngeal pain, otitis media, tonsilitis

Endo: adrenal insufficiency, hyperglycemia, hypothyroidism

GI: abdominal pain, pancreatitis, vomiting

Hemat: eosinophilia, anemia

Local: injection site reactions, lipoatrophy

MS: arthralgia, slipped capital femoral epiphysis

Neuro: headache, INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION

Resp: bronchitis, cough

Misc: fever, HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS(INCLUDING ANAPHYLAXIS AND ANGIOEDEMA)

Interactions ⬆ ⬇

Drug-drug:

May ↓ effectiveness of cortisone and prednisone; may need to ↑ cortisone or prednisone doses during therapy.
Excessive corticosteroid use (equivalent to 10–15 mg/m²/day) may ↓ response to GH.
Effectiveness may be ↓ by estrogen; may need to ↑ somatrogon dose.
May ↓ effectiveness of antihyperglycemic drugs; may need to ↑ dose of antihyperglycemic drugs.

Availability ⬆ ⬇

Solution for injection (prefilled pens): 20 mg/mL; 50 mg/mL

Route/Dosage ⬆ ⬇

SUBQ (Children ≥3 yr): 0.66 mg/kg (actual body weight) once weekly.

US Brand Names ⬆ ⬇

Action ⬆ ⬇

Binds to the GH receptor and stimulates a number of changes to growth and metabolism.

Therapeutic effects:

Increased skeletal growth.

Classifications ⬆ ⬇

Therapeutic Classification: hormones

Pharmacologic Classification: growth hormones

Pharmacokinetics ⬆ ⬇

Absorption: Extent of absorption following SUBQ administration unknown.

Distribution: Well distributed to tissues.

Metabolism/Excretion: Catabolized into smaller proteins. Excretion pathway unknown.

Half-Life: 37.7 hr.

Time/Action Profile ⬆ ⬇

(plasma concentrations)

ROUTE	ONSET	PEAK	DURATION
SUBQ	unknown	11 hr	unknown

Patient/Family Teaching ⬆ ⬇

Explain purpose and side effects of medication to patient/caregiver. Advise to read Patient Information before starting therapy. If dose is missed ≤3 days, administer as soon as possible; then resume regular once-weekly dosing. If dose missed >3 days, skip missed dose and administer next dose on the regularly scheduled day. Educate on the importance of adhering to routine laboratory testing.
Advise patient to notify health care professional of all Rx or OTC medications, vitamins, or herbal products being taken and to consult health care professional before taking other medications.
Advise patient/caregiver to seek immediate medical attention if signs/symptoms hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylaxis, angioedema) occur.
Advise childhood cancer survivors/caregivers treated with radiation to the head that they are ↑ risk for secondary neoplasms and to monitor for recurrence. Advise them to report changes in skin pigmentation and appearance of pre-existing nevi.
Advise patient/caregiver that new onset insulin resistance and hyperglycemia may occur. Advise those with glucose intolerance or risk factors for diabetes to closely monitor their blood glucose.
Advise patient/caregiver to report symptoms of intracranial hypertension, including visual changes, headache, and nausea or vomiting.
Advise patient/caregiver to monitor weight for fluid retention and to report signs and symptoms of edema, arthralgia, myalgia, or nerve compression syndromes.
Advise patient/caregiver to notify health care professional if new onset persistent severe abdominal pain develops.
Educate patient/caregiver to monitor injection sites for inflammation, itching, pain, redness, and swelling and to rotate sites to ↓ risk.
Rep: Advise women of reproductive potential to notify health care professional if pregnancy is planned or suspected or if breastfeeding. Somatrogon may interfere with hCG pregnancy testing (false positives or false negatives); alternative methods are preferred.

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Indications ⬇

Contraind./Precautions ⬆ ⬇