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Humatrope

Generic name: somatropinsoe-ma-TROE-pin ]
Brand names: Genotropin, Humatrope, Norditropin FlexPro Pen, Nutropin AQ NuSpin 10, Omnitrope, ... show all 9 brands
Drug class: Growth hormones

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Feb 29, 2024. Written by Cerner Multum.

What is Humatrope?

Humatrope is a form of human growth hormone important for the growth of bones and muscles.

Humatrope is used to treat growth failure in children and adults who lack natural growth hormone. This includes people with short stature due to Turner syndrome, short stature at birth with no catch-up growth, and other causes.

Humatrope may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Humatrope side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Serious breathing problems may occur in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome who use Humatrope. If you have Prader-Willi syndrome, call your doctor promptly if you develop signs of lung or breathing problems such as shortness of breath, coughing, or new or increased snoring.

Also call your doctor at once if you have:

Common side effects of Humatrope may include:

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Warnings

You should not use Humatrope if you have cancer, diabetic retinopathy, or if you are being treated for Prader-Willi syndrome and you are overweight or have severe breathing problems. You should not use this medicine if you have a serious illness due to lung failure or complications from recent surgery, injury, or medical trauma.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Humatrope if you are allergic to Humatrope or benzyl alcohol, or if you have:

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

In some cases, Humatrope should not be used in a child. Certain brands of somatropin contain an ingredient that can cause serious side effects or death in very young infants or premature babies. Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How should I use Humatrope?

Your dose and brand of somatropin, and how often you use it will depend on the condition you are treating. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Humatrope is injected into a muscle or under the skin. A healthcare provider can teach you how to properly use the medication by yourself.

Do not inject the subcutaneous injection (under the skin) into the same place two times in a row.

Read and carefully follow any Instructions for Use provided with your medicine. Do not use Humatrope if you don't understand all instructions for proper use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions.

Prepare your injection only when you are ready to give it. Do not shake the medicine. Do not use if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.

If your medicine comes with a syringe, cartridge, or injection pen, use only that device to give your medicine.

You may need frequent medical tests.

Follow any diet plan created for you by your doctor or nutrition counselor to help control your condition.

How you store this medicine will depend on the Humatrope brand and the diluent you are using. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about proper storage of your medication.

Throw away any Humatrope left over after the expiration date on the label has passed.

Use a needle and syringe only once and then place them in a puncture-proof "sharps" container. Follow state or local laws about how to dispose of this container. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

Call your doctor if you miss more than 3 doses in a row.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose can cause tremors or shaking, cold sweats, increased hunger, headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, and nausea. Long-term overdose may cause excessive growth.

What should I avoid while using Humatrope?

If you use Zorbtive to treat short bowel syndrome, avoid drinking fruit juices or soda beverages.

Avoid drinking alcohol if you have short bowel syndrome. Alcohol can irritate your stomach and could make your condition worse.

What other drugs will affect Humatrope?

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect Humatrope, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Does Humatrope interact with my other drugs?

Enter medications to view a detailed interaction report using our Drug Interaction Checker.

Humatrope Biosimilars

Biosimilar and interchangeable products are biological products that are highly similar to and have no clinically meaningful differences from the reference product.

Reference products

These are biological products that have already been approved by the FDA, against which biosimilar products are compared. There are 11 for Humatrope.

Accretropin (somatropin) - Emergent Biosolutions Canada Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Vial 5 mg/mL Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked

View Accretropin information in detail.

Genotropin (somatropin) - Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Cartridge 12 mg
Multi-Dose Cartridge 5 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 0.2 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 0.4 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 0.6 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 0.8 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 1.2 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 1.4 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 1.5 mg Discontinued
Pre-Filled Syringe 1.6 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 1.8 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 1 mg
Pre-Filled Syringe 2 mg

View Genotropin information in detail.

Humatrope (somatropin) - Eli Lilly and Company
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Cartridge 12 mg
Multi-Dose Cartridge 24 mg
Multi-Dose Cartridge 6 mg
Single-Dose Vial 2 mg Discontinued
Single-Dose Vial 5 mg Discontinued
Norditropin (somatropin) - Novo Nordisk Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Autoinjector 10 mg/1.5 mL
Autoinjector 15 mg/1.5 mL
Autoinjector 30 mg/3 mL
Autoinjector 5 mg/1.5 mL
Multi-Dose Cartridge 10 mg/1.5 mL Discontinued
Multi-Dose Cartridge 15 mg/1.5 mL Discontinued
Multi-Dose Cartridge 5 mg/1.5 mL Discontinued

View Norditropin information in detail.

Nutropin (somatropin) - Genentech, Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Vial 10 mg Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked
Multi-Dose Vial 5 mg Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked

View Nutropin information in detail.

Nutropin AQ (somatropin) - Genentech, Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Autoinjector 10 mg/2 mL
Autoinjector 20 mg/2 mL
Autoinjector 5 mg/2 mL
Multi-Dose Cartridge 10 mg/2 mL Discontinued
Multi-Dose Cartridge 20 mg/2 mL Discontinued
Vial 10 mg/2 mL Discontinued

View Nutropin AQ information in detail.

Omnitrope (somatropin) - Sandoz Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Cartridge 10 mg/1.5 mL
Multi-Dose Cartridge 5 mg/1.5 mL
Multi-Dose Vial 5.8 mg
Single-Dose Vial 1.5 mg Discontinued

View Omnitrope information in detail.

Saizen (somatropin) - EMD Serono, Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Single-Dose Vial 4 mg Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked
Single-Dose Vial 5 mg Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked
Single-Dose Vial 6 mg Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked
Single-Dose Vial 8.8 mg Discontinued, Voluntarily Revoked

View Saizen information in detail.

Serostim (somatropin) - EMD Serono, Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Vial 4 mg
Single-Dose Cartridge 6 mg/0.5 mL Discontinued
Single-Dose Vial 5 mg
Single-Dose Vial 6 mg

View Serostim information in detail.

Zomacton (somatropin) - Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Vial 10 mg
Multi-Dose Vial 4.8 mg Discontinued
Multi-Dose Vial 5 mg

View Zomacton information in detail.

Zorbtive/Serostim (somatropin) - EMD Serono, Inc.
Formulation type Strength
Multi-Dose Vial 8.8 mg Discontinued

View Zorbtive/Serostim information in detail.

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

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