Somatropin
Listed as Somatropin (rhGH)
FDA approved
Hormones and metabolism
Hormones and metabolismHow it works
Human growth hormone made by bacteria: it prompts the liver to release IGF-1, the growth signal, in children and adults lacking it.
What it's made of
An exact copy of human growth hormone: 191 amino acids, made by bacteria. Until 1985 it was extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers.
What it's for
- Prescribed for
- Growth hormone deficiency in children and adults; short stature from Turner, Prader-Willi, kidney failure, Noonan, SHOX, being born small, or idiopathic; and, in adults with HIV, wasting (Serostim).
Educational satire, not medical advice.