Histrelin
Also sold as: Supprelin
Related Medications
These drugs share a pharmacologic classification but are NOT interchangeable. Listing here does not imply clinical equivalence. A physician must evaluate each drug individually for the patient's specific condition.
Classification: Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Receptor Agonists (source: RxClass/NLM)
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Drug Information
Mechanism of Action
12.1 Mechanism of Action SUPPRELIN LA is a GnRH agonist and an inhibitor of gonadotropin secretion when given continuously. It delivers approximately 65 mcg histrelin acetate per day. Both animal and human studies indicate that following an initial stimulatory phase, chronic, subcutaneous administration of histrelin acetate desensitizes responsiveness of the pituitary gonadotropin which, in turn causes a reduction in ovarian and testicular steroidogenesis. In humans, administration of histrelin acetate results in an initial increase in circulating levels of LH and FSH, leading to a transient increase in concentration of gonadal steroids (testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in males, and estrone and estradiol in premenopausal females). However, continuous administration of histrelin acetate causes a reversible down-regulation of the GnRH receptors in the pituitary gland and desensitization of the pituitary gonadotropes. These inhibitory effects result in decreased levels of LH and FSH.
Indications & Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE SUPPRELIN LA (histrelin acetate) subcutaneous implant is indicated for the treatment of children with central precocious puberty (CPP). Children with CPP (neurogenic or idiopathic) have an early onset of secondary sexual characteristics (earlier than 8 years of age in females and 9 years of age in males). They also show a significantly advanced bone age that can result in diminished adult height attainment. Prior to initiation of treatment a clinical diagnosis of CPP should be confirmed by measurement of blood concentrations of total sex steroids, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) following stimulation with a GnRH analog, and assessment of bone age versus chronological age. Baseline evaluations should include height and weight measurements, diagnostic imaging of the brain (to rule out intracranial tumor), pelvic/testicular/adrenal ultrasound (to rule out steroid secreting tumors), human chorionic gonadotropin levels (to rule out a chorionic gonadotropin secreting tumor), and adrenal steroids to exclude congenital adrenal hyperplasia. SUPPRELIN LA is a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist indicated for the treatment of children with central precocious puberty (CPP) ( 1 ).
Dosage & Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended dose of SUPPRELIN LA is one implant every 12 months. The implant is inserted subcutaneously in the inner aspect of the upper arm and provides continuous release of histrelin for 12 months of hormonal therapy ( 2 ). 2.1 Recommended Dose The recommended dose of SUPPRELIN LA is one implant every 12 months. Each implant contains 50 mg histrelin acetate. The implant is inserted subcutaneously in the inner aspect of the upper arm and provides continuous release of histrelin acetate (65 mcg/day) for 12 months of hormonal therapy. SUPPRELIN LA should be removed after 12 months of therapy (the implant has been designed to allow for a few additional weeks of histrelin acetate release, in order to allow flexibility of medical appointments). At the time an implant is removed, another implant may be inserted to continue therapy. Discontinuation of SUPPRELIN LA should be considered at the discretion of the physician and at the appropriate time point for the onset of puberty (approximately 11 years for females and 12 years for males). 2.2 Recommended Procedure for Implant Insertion and Removal This procedure section is intended to provide guidance for the insertion and removal of SUPPRELIN LA. The actual procedure used, however, is at the discretion of the qualified healthcare provider performing the procedure. Insertion of a new implant can proceed using the following Suggested Insertion Procedure . If a previous SUPPRELIN LA implant must first be removed, please see the Suggested Removal Procedure instructions below. Suggested Insertion Procedure The supplies necessary to insert the implant, including the Insertion Tool and local anesthetic, are provided in a separate Implantation Kit that is shipped along with the implant. Please note that the implant should be kept refrigerated (2-8°C) in its sealed vial, pouch, and carton, until needed for the procedure. Once removed from refrigeration, the vial containing the implant (still in its unopened pouch and carton) may remain at room temperature for up to 7 days, if necessary, before being used. If not used in that time, the packaged implant may again be properly refrigerated until the expiration date on the carton. NOTE: The Implantation Kit is to be stored at room temperature and should not be refrigerated. Insertion of the SUPPRELIN LA implant is a surgical procedure. Sterile gloves and aseptic technique must be used to minimize any chance of infection. Setting up the Sterile Field Using proper aseptic technique, the sterilized components of the Implantation Kit needed for the insertion procedure, including the Insertion Tool, are to be carefully dispensed from their packaging onto the Sterile Field drape ( non -fenestrated) provided. NOTE THAT THE KIT BOX AND ALL PACKAGING ARE NOT STERILE and should be kept off of the Sterile Field drape. DO NOT PLACE THE VIAL OF LOCAL ANESTHETIC OR THE VIAL CONTAINING THE IMPLANT ONTO THE DRAPE as the exterior surface of these vials is not sterile. The implant vial should not be opened until just before the time of insertion. Open the vial by removing the metal band and carefully pour the sterile contents (implant and sterile saline) onto the Sterile Field drape. The implant can then be handled with sterile gloves or with the sterile mosquito clamp provided. AVOID bending or pinching the implant . Preparing the Patient and the Insertion Site The patient should be on his/her back, ideally with the arm least used (e.g., left arm for a right-handed person) positioned, either bent or extended, so that the physician has ready access to the inner aspect of the upper arm. Propping the arm with pillows may help the patient more easily hold the position. The suggested optimum site for subcutaneous insertion is approximately half-way between the shoulder and the elbow, in line with the crease between the biceps and triceps muscles. Antiseptic Swab the insertion area with topical antiseptic, then overlay with the fenestrated Sterile Field drape provided, so that the opening is over the insertion site (for clarity of illustration, the following images do not show the drape). Anesthetic The method of anesthesia utilized (i.e., local, conscious sedation, general) is at the discretion of the healthcare provider. If local anesthesia is selected: a vial of sterile local anesthetic (note that the exterior of the vial is not sterile ) has been provided along with a sterile hypodermic needle for injection. After determining the absence of known allergies to the anesthetic agent, inject anesthetic into the subcutaneous tissue, starting at the planned incision site, then infiltrating along the intended subcutaneous insertion path, up to the length of the implant (a little more than one inch). Local anesthesia may also be supplemented by the use of distraction techniques. The following sections describe the suggested procedure for insertion of the implant using the Insertion Tool provided. The method of insertion u
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions are described here and elsewhere in the label: Initial Agonist Action [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Implant Breakage [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Psychiatric Events [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Convulsions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Pseudotumor Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] The most common adverse reaction is implant site reaction (51.1%), including complications related to the insertion or removal of the implant ( 6 ). Adverse events related to suppression of endogenous sex steroid secretion may occur ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Endo at 1-800-462-3636 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Overall Adverse Reaction Profile The most common adverse reactions with SUPPRELIN LA involved the implant site. Local reactions after implant insertion include bruising, pain, soreness, erythema and swelling. During the early phase of therapy, gonadotropins and sex steroids rise above baseline because of the natural stimulatory effect of the drug. Therefore, an increase in clinical signs and symptoms may be observed [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . 6.2 Adverse Reactions in Clinical Trials Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety of SUPPRELIN LA in children with CPP was evaluated in two single-arm clinical trials conducted in a total of 47 patients (44 females and 3 males) over a period of time ranging from 9 to 18 months. The most commonly reported adverse reaction was implant site reaction, which was reported by 24 of 47 (51.1%) patients. Implant site reaction includes discomfort, bruising, soreness, pain, tingling, itching, implant area protrusion and swelling. Two subjects experienced a serious adverse reaction: 1 subject who coincidentally had Stargardt’s Disease experienced amblyopia and 1 subject had a benign pituitary tumor (pituitary adenoma). One subject discontinued the study due to an adverse reaction of infection at the implant site. There were no clinically meaningful findings in standard clinical hematology and chemistry tests and/or in vital signs. The incidence of implantation adverse events reported by more than 2 patients are summarized in Table 1. Table 1: Incidence of implantation adverse reactions reported by ≥ 2 patients treated with SUPPRELIN LA in both clinical trials Adverse Reactions N=47 N (%) Implant site reaction 24 (51.1) Keloid scar 3 (6.4) Scar 3 (6.4) Suture related complication 3 (6.4) Application site pain 2 (4.3) Post procedural pain 2 (4.3) The following adverse reactions were reported as possibly related or related in 1 patient each: wound infection, breast tenderness, dysmenorrhea, epistaxis, erythema, feeling cold, gynecomastia, headache, menorrhagia, migraine, mood swings, pituitary tumor benign, pruritus, weight increased, disease progression and influenza-like illness. The adverse reaction metrorrhagia was reported as possibly related or related in 2 patients. 6.3 Post-marketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of SUPPRELIN LA or GnRH agonists. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions : implant breakage Psychiatric Disorders : Emotional lability, such as crying, irritability, impatience, anger, and aggression. Depression, including rare reports of suicidal ideation and attempt. Many, but not all, of these patients had a history of psychiatric illness or other comorbidities with an increased risk of depression. Nervous System Disorders : seizures. Pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) have been observed with GnRH agonists. Skin Reactions: erythema multiforme, bullous dermatitis, dermatitis exfoliative, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis.
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Overview: No formal drug-drug, drug-food, or drug-herb interaction studies were performed with SUPPRELIN LA. Drug-Laboratory Interactions: Therapy with SUPPRELIN LA results in suppression of the pituitary-gonadal system. Results of diagnostic tests of pituitary gonadotropic and gonadal functions conducted during and after SUPPRELIN LA therapy may be affected. SUPPRELIN LA decreased mean serum insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF 1) levels by approximately 11% in one study (Study 1). SUPPRELIN LA increased the serum concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in 8 of 36 patients in another study (Study 2).
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS SUPPRELIN LA is contraindicated in: Patients who are hypersensitive to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or GnRH agonist analogs Pregnancy [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] . History of hypersensitivity to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or GnRH analogs ( 4 ). Pregnancy ( 4 ).
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Medical Disclaimer: Information on this page is sourced from FDA-approved labeling data and is for educational reference only. It does not constitute medical advice. This information does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Always verify with current prescribing information and consult a licensed healthcare professional before any clinical decision. Read full disclaimer.
Data sourced from RxNorm (NLM/NIH), FDA Orange Book, OpenFDA, DailyMed. Last updated: 2026-03-02.