title: Long-acting formulations of somatostatin analogues.
abstract: Somatostatin has represented a significant breakthrough in the treatment of patients with hormonally-acting, neuroendocrine gastroenteropancreatic neoplasms, even if its short half-life made it impractical in the clinic. In recent years, new long-acting formulations have been developed from the native peptide. The long-lasting formulation of the somatostatin analogue octreotide (octreotide-LAR) can be administered once-monthly and has been shown to provide similar efficacy to subcutaneous octreotide administered three times a day in the control of flushing and diarrhoea associated with the carcinoid syndrome. Another-long acting somatostatin analogue, lanreotide, is available in a slow-release form, lanreotide-SR. In a multicentre 6-month trial on carcinoid tumour patients, 30 mg lanreotide-SR were administered intramuscularly every 14 days, obtaining the control of symptoms in the majority of subjects. Thus, both octreotide-LAR administered monthly, and lanreotide-SR administered every 10-14 days, have been shown to be an effective tool in the treatment of carcinoid tumours, providing, in addition, a substantial improvement in patient compliance.
authors.affiliation: Hematology and Oncology Department, Lousiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Anthony
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C060347:lanreotide; D013004:Somatostatin; D015282:Octreotide