Octreotide

Octreotide (brand name Sandostatin, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) is an octapeptide that mimics natural somatostatin pharmacologically, though is a more potent inhibitor of growth hormone, glucagon, and insulin than the natural hormone.

Effects

Somatostatin has numerous physiological effects:

  • It inhibits secretion of many hormones, such as gastrin, cholecystokinin, glucagon, growth hormone, insulin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide, and vasoactive intestinal peptide.
  • It reduces secretion of fluids by the intestine and pancreas.
  • It reduces gastrointestinal motility and inhibits contraction of the gallbladder.
  • It inhibits the secretion of certain hormones from the anterior pituitary.

    • Uses

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the usage of a salt form of this peptide, octreotide acetate, as an injectable depot formulation for the treatment of acromegaly, the treatment of diarrhoea and flushing episodes associated with carcinoid syndrome, and treatment of diarrhoea in patients with vasoactive intestinal peptide-secreting tumours (VIPomas).

    Octreotide has also been used off-label for the treatment of severe, refractory diarrhoea from other causes. It is used in toxicology for the treatment of prolonged recurrent hypoglycaemia after sulfonylurea overdose.

    In patients with liver cirrhosis, octreotide is used to help stop actively bleeding blood vessels.

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