How is lanreotide (Somatuline) 120 mg administered?

From the Guidelines

Lanreotide 120 mg is administered as a deep subcutaneous injection, typically once every 4 weeks (28 days) 1. The injection is given in the superior external quadrant of the buttock or the upper outer thigh area. Healthcare professionals usually administer the medication, though some patients or caregivers may be trained to give the injection at home. Lanreotide comes in a pre-filled syringe with a safety system to prevent needle stick injuries and should be allowed to reach room temperature before administration (typically 30 minutes) 1. The medication should be injected slowly to ensure proper delivery. Injection sites should be rotated to prevent tissue damage or irritation. Some key points to consider when administering lanreotide 120 mg include:

• Starting with a lower dose and titrating up to achieve stabilization 1
• Using rescue doses of subcutaneous octreotide for breakthrough symptoms 1
• Reducing administration intervals from 4 to 3 weeks if breakthrough symptoms occur mainly during the week before the next long-acting injection 1 Lanreotide is a somatostatin analog used to treat conditions like acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors by suppressing the release of certain hormones. Patients may experience side effects such as injection site reactions, gastrointestinal disturbances, or gallstones, so regular monitoring by a healthcare provider is important during treatment 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

For deep subcutaneous injection only. Slowly administer for 20 seconds as a deep subcutaneous injection in the superior external quadrant of the buttock. Alternate the injection site between the right and left sides from one injection to the next. The recommended dosage of SOMATULINE DEPOT is 120 mg administered every 4 weeks by deep subcutaneous injection.

Administration of lanreotide 120 mg:

• The dose is administered via deep subcutaneous injection.
• The injection should be given slowly over 20 seconds.
• The injection site should be in the superior external quadrant of the buttock, alternating between the right and left sides.
• The recommended dosage is 120 mg every 4 weeks 2.

From the Research

Administration of Lanreotide 120 mg

• Lanreotide Autogel 120 mg is a high-dose, sustained-release aqueous gel formulation, supplied in a prefilled syringe and given by deep subcutaneous injection 3.
• The frequency of lanreotide 120 mg administrations can be adjusted to every 4,6, or 8 weeks depending on GH levels 3, 4.
• Lanreotide 120 mg can be administered at intervals of 56,42, and 28 days, providing equivalent hormonal control and quality of life to octreotide LAR 10,20, and 30 mg injected every 28 days, respectively 4.
• Patient preference for lanreotide 120 mg was highest in the 56-day dosing interval group, with 71% of patients expressing a preference for treatment with lanreotide 4.

Dosing Interval

• The dosing interval of lanreotide 120 mg can be adjusted based on insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels 4.
• A study found that 62.9% of patients had normalized IGF-1 levels with lanreotide 120 mg at study end, which was similar to the proportion at baseline (60.0%) 4.
• The proportion of patients preferring lanreotide treatment was greater in the longer injection interval groups 4.

Comparison with Other Treatments

• Lanreotide 120 mg was compared to octreotide LAR in a study, which found that lanreotide was associated with a significant reduction in mean delivery time compared to octreotide LAR 5.
• Nurses reported increased concerns with octreotide LAR related to needle clogging and device failures, and overall, lanreotide had a median satisfaction score of 5.0 compared to a score of 4.0 with octreotide LAR 5.