[Efficacy of delayed-release lanreotide in the medical therapy of acromegaly].

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of 6 months therapy with slow-release lanreotide (30 mg i.m. every 10-14 days) in 8 acromegalic patients has been studied. METHODS: These patients had been previously treated (for 62 +/- 5.7 months) with octreotide (100 micrograms t.i.d.) and therefore presented, at the beginning of the study, normal mean GH (3.5 +/- 1.1 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (301.7 +/- 32.9 ng/ml) plasma levels. After a week of wash-out, mean GH (5.5 +/- 1.3 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (523.8 +/- 26.7 ng/ml) plasma levels showed a significant increase (p 5 ng/ml, lanreotide was administered every 10 days. RESULTS: After 3 months of therapy, 6 out of the 8 patients presented persistent GH levels 5 ng/ml during the day, with increased plasma levels of IGF-1. This latter group of patients was resubmitted treatment with octreotide, 100 micrograms t.i.d. After 6 months of therapy, all 6 patients presented GH and IGF-1 plasma levels comparable to those observed during treatment with octreotide. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that slow-release lanreotide can be a valid therapeutic alternative to octreotide in the medical treatment of acromegalic patients.