Lanreotide

Somatuline Depot (US), Somatuline Autogel (EU/UK/AU), Somatuline LA (older formulation), BIM 23014, lanreotide acetate; generic lanreotide injection (Cipla 2021, Amneal 2026)

Sexual health, hormones & signalling

Awaiting medical reviewEN ES DE FR PT ZH+ Follow for updates

Note on this profile. Lanreotide is an approved prescription medicine used in endocrinology and oncology, not a research-only compound. This page explains the published science. Community/self-directed use is essentially none documented.

Summary

Class: Synthetic cyclic octapeptide somatostatin analogue (8 amino acids, one disulfide bridge, D-amino acids); formulated as a supersaturated aqueous gel that self-assembles into nanotubes and releases slowly
Mechanism: Activates somatostatin receptors SSTR2 and SSTR5 to suppress growth hormone and gut/tumour hormone secretion and to slow neuroendocrine tumour growth
Routes studied: Deep subcutaneous injection every 4 weeks (approved); every 6–8 weeks extended interval (approved for acromegaly in some labels)
Half-life: Apparent terminal half-life ~23–30 days for the depot (true elimination half-life of the molecule ~2–3 h); steady state after 4–5 injections
Storage: Pre-filled syringe: refrigerate 2–8 °C in the original pouch, protect from light; may be kept at room temperature up to 24 h before use; allow 30 min out of the fridge before injecting
Regulatory status: Approved medicine (EU/UK since late 1990s–2001 for Autogel; US 2007 acromegaly, 2014 GEP-NETs, 2017 carcinoid syndrome); generics in US since Dec 2021

Doses are as reported in studies or by the community — never recommendations.

1What it is

Lanreotide is the second somatostatin analogue to reach the clinic, developed by Ipsen in the late 1980s as an alternative to octreotide (profile 124). It targets the same two receptors and does the same job. Its distinguishing feature is its formulation: lanreotide acetate at very high concentration in water spontaneously forms a gel of nanotubes (the "Autogel" / "Depot"), which releases drug steadily for a month or more after a single deep injection, with no microspheres or mixing step. Patients or carers can be trained to self-inject it, unlike octreotide LAR.

It is approved for acromegaly, for slowing the growth of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs), and for carcinoid syndrome symptoms. The CLARINET trial made it the first somatostatin analogue with a placebo-controlled progression-free survival benefit across pancreatic and midgut NETs.

2How it's thought to work

Identical in principle to octreotide: high affinity for SSTR2, moderate for SSTR5, little for SSTR1/3/4. Receptor activation suppresses GH release from pituitary tumours (and so IGF-1), suppresses secretion of serotonin and other peptides from neuroendocrine tumours, and exerts direct anti-proliferative effects (cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis) plus indirect effects via lowered IGF-1 and reduced tumour blood supply. The gel formulation gives flatter, more stable drug levels than daily injections.

The same SSTR2-dominant braking signal as octreotide, from a depot gel that releases over a month. Hormone secretion and, in neuroendocrine tumours, cell growth are both slowed.Schematic — not to scale

3What the research shows

Anti-proliferative effect in GEP-NETs

CLARINET (n=204; non-functioning, well- or moderately differentiated, Ki-67 <10%) randomised patients to lanreotide 120 mg every 4 weeks or placebo for up to 96 weeks. Progression or death: 31.7% vs 58.3%; median progression-free survival not reached vs 16.6 months (HR 0.47) (Caplin 2014, NEJM). Open-label extension supported durability (Caplin 2016, Endocr Relat Cancer). This is the pivotal trial behind the 2014 US approval. [1][2]

Graded A/B

Acromegaly

Multiple trials show biochemical control (normal IGF-1 and GH) in roughly 40–55% of patients and tumour shrinkage in most, comparable to octreotide LAR (Caron 2002, J Clin Endocrinol Metab; Melmed 2010 PRIMARYS trial of first-line lanreotide — Caron 2014, J Clin Endocrinol Metab). Extended 6–8-week dosing maintains control in selected patients (LEAD study, Neggers 2015, J Clin Endocrinol Metab). [3][4]

Carcinoid syndrome

ELECT (n=115) showed lanreotide reduced days needing rescue short-acting octreotide compared with placebo over 16 weeks (Vinik 2016, Endocr Pract). [5]

Graded A (modest)

Polycystic liver and kidney disease

Lanreotide reduced liver volume in polycystic liver disease (LOCKCYST trials) but did not slow kidney function decline in ADPKD in the DIPAK-1 trial (Meijer 2018, JAMA). [6]

Graded B/C

Thyroid-eye disease, hyperinsulinism, dumping syndrome

Scattered small studies, off-label.

4Reported side effects and interactions

Literature-reported

gastrointestinal effects (diarrhoea 26–65%, abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea, loose fatty stools), gallstones and biliary sludge (~20–25% develop stones over years, mostly asymptomatic; acute cholecystitis and cholangitis reported, including after stopping), injection-site nodules and pain (deep injection into the buttock), hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia, bradycardia, hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 reduction, fatigue, headache. Pancreatitis is rare. Antibodies are uncommon.

Community-reported

none documented.

Theoretical. as for octreotide — chronic GH/IGF-1 suppression in a healthy person has no benefit and plausible harm.

Interactions. cyclosporine (reduced absorption), bromocriptine (increased bioavailability), insulin and oral antidiabetics (dose adjustments), beta-blockers and other bradycardic drugs, slowed absorption of oral medicines; possible reduced clearance of CYP3A4 substrates.

Markers researchers commonly monitor

Marker	Why it's watched
IGF-1 and GH	targets in acromegaly, checked before each dose adjustment (typically every 3 months initially).
Fasting glucose and HbA1c	bidirectional glucose effects.
TSH and free T4	hypothyroidism risk with chronic use.
Gallbladder ultrasound	baseline and every 6–12 months, or if biliary symptoms.
Heart rate and ECG	bradycardia, especially with beta-blockers.
Vitamin B12	periodically on long-term therapy.
Chromogranin A, 5-HIAA and cross-sectional imaging	tumour tracking in NET patients.
Liver enzymes and lipase	if abdominal pain, to catch biliary or pancreatic complications.

Free for everyone. Safety information is never behind a paywall.

5Reconstitution and handling

Supplied as a ready-to-inject supersaturated gel in a pre-filled syringe (60, 90, 120 mg in 0.2–0.5 mL) with a safety needle. No . Given by deep injection into the upper outer buttock (not the abdomen), alternating sides; the plunger is pressed slowly over about 20 seconds because the gel is viscous. The calculator is not applicable.

6Commonly studied alongside

Octreotide (profile 124) and pasireotide (profile 126); telotristat ethyl (carcinoid syndrome diarrhoea); lutetium-177 DOTATATE and everolimus (NETs, often continued with lanreotide); pegvisomant and cabergoline (acromegaly). Short-acting octreotide is used as rescue for breakthrough symptoms.

Informational cross-links. Not stack recommendations.

7Regulatory status by region

Region	Status (checked —)
United States	FDA-approved Somatuline Depot: acromegaly (2007), GEP-NETs (Dec 2014), carcinoid syndrome (2017). Generic lanreotide injection approved for Cipla (Dec 2021) and Amneal (Sept 2026)
European Union	Nationally authorised (Somatuline Autogel) for acromegaly, GEP-NET anti-proliferative treatment and carcinoid syndrome symptoms
United Kingdom	MHRA-licensed; prescription-only; NICE-supported for NETs
Australia	TGA-registered; PBS-listed for acromegaly and functional/non-functional GEP-NETs
South Africa	SAHPRA-registered; prescription-only †
Sport	Not on the WADA Prohibited List

8Open questions

Whether somatostatin analogues improve overall survival in NETs (CLARINET showed progression-free, not overall, survival benefit).
Head-to-head equivalence with octreotide LAR in acromegaly has only been shown in small or retrospective studies.
Benefit in NETs with Ki-67 >10% and in above-label doses (CLARINET FORTE tested 120 mg every 14 days).

9References

1Caplin ME et al. (2014). Lanreotide in metastatic enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (CLARINET). NEJM. PubMed · DOI
2Caplin ME et al. (2016). Anti-tumour effects of lanreotide for pancreatic and intestinal neuroendocrine tumours: the CLARINET open-label extension study. Endocr Relat Cancer. PubMed
3Caron PJ et al. (2014). Tumor shrinkage with lanreotide Autogel 120 mg as primary therapy in acromegaly: results of a prospective multicenter clinical trial (PRIMARYS). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. PubMed · DOI
4Neggers SJ et al. (2015). Lanreotide Autogel 120 mg at extended dosing intervals in patients with acromegaly biochemically controlled with octreotide LAR or lanreotide Autogel (LEAD). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. PubMed · DOI
5Vinik AI et al. (2016). ELECT: a phase 3 study of efficacy and safety of lanreotide depot/autogel in carcinoid syndrome. Endocr Pract. PubMed
6Meijer E et al. (2018). Effect of lanreotide on kidney function in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (DIPAK-1). JAMA. PubMed · DOI
7Ipsen. Somatuline Depot (lanreotide) injection prescribing information (current label). PubMed

References are being resolved to PubMed/DOI identifiers; links search PubMed for the citation until then.

† Being confirmed by our reviewers against current sources.

10Community

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Self-reported side effects Phase 2

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11Page history

30 Oct 2026Profile published — awaiting medical review

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