What conditions does Humatrope treat?
Humatrope is approved for use in both children and adults In children Humatrope is indicated for:
Growth Hormone Deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency occurs when the pituitary gland – a small pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain – produces an inadequate amount of growth hormone. This deficiency in growth hormone results in a slower rate of growth.
Turner Syndrome
Turner syndrome is a genetic condition due to partial or complete absence of one of the two X chromosomes usually present in females. It affects one in every 2,000 to 2,500 females and does not affect males.
Idiopathic Short Stature
Children whose growth problem cannot currently be diagnosed are said to have idiopathic short stature, which means short stature with no known cause. Despite the great amount of understanding that pediatric endocrinologists have gained about causes of slow growth and short stature, there are still many factors that affect growth that are not yet fully understood.
SHOX (short stature homeobox-containing gene) Deficiency
SHOX deficiency (SHOX-D) is present when one copy (or very rarely, both copies) of the SHOX gene has undergone deletion or mutation. SHOX deficiency may be inherited from an affected parent and passed on to offspring, or may occur spontaneously in a family with no other affected members.
In adults, Humatrope is approved for the following conditions:
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)
Humatrope is approved for replacement of endogenous growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency who meet either of the following two criteria:
- Adult-onset growth hormone deficiency (AO GHD) – patients who have growth hormone deficiency, either alone or accompanied by multiple hormone deficiencies (hypopituitarism), as a result of hypothalamic disease, pituitary disease, surgery, radiation therapy, or trauma;
OR - Childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency (CO GHD) – patients who were growth hormone deficient during childhood, and who have growth hormone deficiency confirmed as an adult before replacement therapy with Humatrope is started.
Hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism is a disorder in which all or part of the pituitary gland does not work as it should, possibly resulting in a lack of certain hormones. This may have a negative effect on the function of one or more of your body systems.
