Lanreotide is a synthetic octapeptide that mimics somatostatin, a natural hormone that puts the brakes on several endocrine signals. It is a finished, approved prescription drug, not a research-only compound. Ipsen developed it and sells it as Somatuline (Somatuline Depot in the US, Somatuline Autogel or Ipstyl elsewhere). The US FDA approved it on August 30, 2007, and it has been used in Europe for longer. You may also see it under code names from its development, including BIM 23014 and DC 13-116.
What it is and how it works
Somatostatin is the body's "stop" signal for hormones like growth hormone (GH). It breaks down in minutes, which makes the natural hormone impractical as a drug. Lanreotide is a shortened, stabilized eight-amino-acid version that resists that rapid breakdown and is formulated for slow release from a deep subcutaneous injection given roughly once a month.
The drug binds human somatostatin receptors, with high affinity for subtypes SSTR2 and SSTR5 and weaker binding to SSTR1, 3, and 4. Activity at SSTR2 and SSTR5 is the part thought to drive its suppression of growth hormone, which in turn lowers insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). That receptor activity is also the basis for its anti-tumor effect in certain neuroendocrine cancers. These mechanism details come from DrugBank and the FDA prescribing information.
What it is approved to treat
Lanreotide carries several approved uses:
- Acromegaly, the condition of GH excess, typically when surgery or radiotherapy has not worked or is not an option.
- Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), where it is used to slow tumor progression.
- Carcinoid syndrome, to reduce flushing and diarrhea caused by hormone-secreting tumors.
The evidence base
The clearest data come from the phase III CLARINET trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2014. It was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 204 patients with metastatic grade 1 or 2 enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Lanreotide significantly lengthened progression-free survival: at 96 weeks, 65.1% of treated patients had not progressed or died versus 33.0% on placebo, a hazard ratio of 0.47 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.73). See Caplin et al., NEJM 2014. Follow-up work, the CLARINET open-label extension, reported on longer-term outcomes. Earlier studies established its role in lowering GH and IGF-1 in acromegaly.
The most common side effects reported in trials were gastrointestinal: diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gallstones (cholelithiasis). In CLARINET, treatment-related adverse events occurred in about half the lanreotide group versus 28% on placebo, diarrhea being the most frequent.
Regulatory and anti-doping status
Lanreotide is an approved drug regulated as a prescription medicine in the US, EU, and other markets. It is not sold as a "research chemical" the way many obscure peptides are. Use is medically supervised and tied to specific diagnoses. As with any peptide, athletes under testing should verify current status through GlobalDRO or the WADA Prohibited List rather than assuming, since classification can change.
The quality angle
Because lanreotide is a regulated pharmaceutical, the relevant quality controls are the manufacturer's and the regulator's, not a vendor certificate of analysis. If you encounter lanreotide offered outside the prescription supply chain, treat that as a red flag: identity, purity, and correct dosing of an injectable peptide all matter, and only the approved product has been through that scrutiny. Nothing here is medical or dosing advice. Lanreotide is a prescription drug, and decisions about it belong with a qualified clinician.