Abstract
Pasireotide (Signifor®, Signifor® LAR) is a somatostatin analogue recently approved for the treatment of acromegaly. Unlike the first-generation agents, octreotide and lanreotide, which bind preferentially to somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-2, pasireotide binds to multiple SSTRs. This article reviews the clinical use and summarizes the pharmacological properties of intramuscular pasireotide in the treatment of acromegaly. The efficacy of pasireotide 40 mg every 28 days was superior to that of intramuscular octreotide 20 mg every 28 days with regard to biochemical control in a 12-month, phase III trial in medically naive patients. Similarly, in a 6-month, phase III trial in patients with acromegaly inadequately controlled with somatostatin analogues for at least 6 months, the efficacy of pasireotide 40 or 60 mg was superior to that of continued octreotide 30 mg or lanreotide autogel 120 mg (each drug was administered once every 28 days) with regard to biochemical control. The tolerability profile of intramuscular pasireotide is generally similar to that of first-generation agents, except for a higher incidence of hyperglycaemia-related adverse events with pasireotide. In clinical trials, the risk of developing pasireotide-associated hyperglycaemia was numerically greater in patients categorized as diabetic or prediabetic at baseline than in those with normal glucose tolerance. Careful monitoring of glycaemic status is required prior to and during pasireotide treatment and antidiabetic therapy should be commenced as indicated. Thus, in the treatment of acromegaly, pasireotide may be a more effective somatostatin analogue than other approved agents of the same class; however, the increased risk of hyperglycaemia needs to be considered and proactively managed.
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Disclosure
The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process, the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific and editorial merit. Kate McKeage is a salaried employee of Adis/Springer.
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The manuscript was reviewed by: M. Gadelha, Section of Endocrinology, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; L. F. Grasso, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Section, University “Federico II”, Naples, Italy; J. S. Kuo, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; S Melmed, Pituitary Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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McKeage, K. Pasireotide in Acromegaly: A Review. Drugs 75, 1039–1048 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-015-0413-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-015-0413-y