From the Guidelines
Lanreotide is not available in several developing nations across Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, and some regions of Central and South America. The availability of lanreotide, a somatostatin analog, varies significantly worldwide, with many low-income countries lacking access due to high costs, limited healthcare infrastructure, and regulatory challenges 1. Some of the key factors contributing to its unavailability include:
- High cost of the medication
- Limited healthcare infrastructure in developing nations
- Regulatory challenges in approving and distributing the drug
- Limited medical expertise in administering lanreotide in some regions
In many middle-income countries, lanreotide may be available only through specialized centers or import mechanisms, rather than being readily accessible throughout the healthcare system. Patients requiring lanreotide in these regions often face significant barriers, including cost constraints, supply chain issues, and limited medical expertise in administering this specialized treatment. Alternative somatostatin analogs like octreotide may be more widely available in some of these markets, though access to any somatostatin analog therapy remains challenging in resource-limited settings. The NCCN guidelines recommend the use of octreotide or lanreotide for patients with metastatic NETs and carcinoid syndrome, highlighting the importance of access to these medications for effective treatment 1.
From the Research
Countries Without Lanreotide
There is no direct information available in the provided studies about countries that do not have lanreotide.
Availability of Lanreotide
- Lanreotide is used to treat symptoms associated with hormone hypersecretion in neuroendocrine tumors 2.
- It is also used to treat patients with advanced, well-differentiated or moderately differentiated, nonfunctioning, somatostatin receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumors of grade 1 or 2 2.
- The use of lanreotide has been studied in various clinical trials, including a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational study 2.
Somatostatin Analogs
- Somatostatin analogs, such as octreotide and lanreotide, have a high affinity for somatostatin receptor sub-types 2 and 5 3.
- Pasireotide is a new analogue with a receptor pattern different from previous analogues, binding with high affinity to SSR types 1,2,3, and 5 3.
- Somatostatin analogs have been used in clinical applications for more than two decades, with various hypotheses existing to explain differences in patient responsiveness to somatostatin analog inhibition of tumor secretion and growth 4.