Mecasermin
| Clinical data | |
|---|---|
| Trade names | Increlex |
| Other names | FK-780; Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1; rhIGF-1; Somatomedin-1 |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
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| Routes of administration | Subcutaneous injection |
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| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Elimination half-life | 5.8 hours |
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| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C331H512N94O101S7 |
| Molar mass | 7648.71 g·mol−1 |
| (what is this?) (verify) | |
Mecasermin, sold under the brand name Increlex, also known as recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 (rhIGF-1), is a recombinant form of human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) which is used in the long-term treatment of growth failure and short stature in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency, for instance due to growth hormone deficiency or Laron syndrome (growth hormone insensitivity).
Mecasermin has a biological half-life of about 5.8 hours in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.
A related medication is mecasermin rinfabate (brand name Iplex), which is a combination of mecasermin (rhIGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein acid labile subunit (IGFALS) as a ternary complex. The complex serves to prolong the action of mecasermin in the human body; the half-life of mecasermin when provided as this complex is 13.4 hours in individuals with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.
Mecasermin therapy has been also shown to be beneficial in other conditions not related to growth failure, including diabetes mellitus and anorexia nervosa.