Pegvisomant
Pegvisomant is a daily injection that blocks growth hormone at its receptor. It normalises the downstream hormone IGF-1 in most people with acromegaly whose tumours were not cured by surgery, although it does not shrink the tumour itself.
Overview
Pegvisomant is a growth hormone receptor antagonist developed by Sensus and Pharmacia, now marketed by Pfizer. The FDA approved it in 2003 for acromegaly in patients with an inadequate response to surgery or radiotherapy and other medical treatments. Given by daily subcutaneous injection, it normalises IGF-1 in the great majority of patients, the highest biochemical control rate of any acromegaly drug, and improves symptoms and glucose metabolism.
Because it acts at the receptor rather than on the tumour, growth hormone levels rise and the adenoma is not shrunk, so tumour volume is monitored by MRI; liver enzymes are also checked. It is used alone or with a somatostatin analogue. The pituitary tumours page names it among the medical treatments for acromegaly after surgery.
A mutated, pegylated growth hormone that binds the growth hormone receptor but cannot activate it, blocking IGF-1 production in the liver regardless of how much growth hormone the pituitary tumour secretes.
1.Pegvisomant acts on its target, the hormone receptor or the enzyme that makes the hormone.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 2003 | Acromegaly with inadequate response to surgery or radiotherapy and other medical therapies |
Trials
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Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Pegvisomant" OR ABSTRACT:"Pegvisomant" OR TITLE:"Somavert" OR ABSTRACT:"Somavert" OR TITLE:"B2036-PEG" OR ABSTRACT:"B2036-PEG") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Pegvisomant, not a curated reading list.
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