The effect of a new slow-release, long-acting somatostatin analogue, lanreotide, in acromegaly

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have shown that somatostatin analogues such as octreotide and lanreotide are effective in suppressing GH and IGF-I levels in acromegaly, but the mode of administration and the frequency of injections were inconvenient for the patients. We have evaluated the effects of a new slow-release (SR), long-acting formulation of lanreotide, a somatostatin analogue, on clinical, biochemical and safety responses in acromegaly. DESIGN We studied the effects of SR-lanreotide 30mg administered intramuscularly twice or three times monthly for 6 months. Ten patients were studied, in whom acromegaly was confirmed by clinical features,mean GH>5 mU/l, and failure to suppress GH to