Human RCT
Mensch
Lamberts SW. et al. 1996
Reduction in GH and IGF-1 levels in acromegaly patients documented in randomised trials
What does NOT follow: Response rates vary by tumour type and SSTR expression.
Peptide entry · Research other
Octreotide
SMS 201-995 · Sandostatin · Octreotid
Highest evidence
Human RCT
Studies recorded
5· 4 in humans
Legal status · US
PrescriptionScientific context only. Not medical advice, not a recommendation to use.
At a glance
Synthetic octapeptide somatostatin analog with a longer half-life than endogenous somatostatin. FDA- and EMA-approved since the 1980s for acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumours.
Researched for
AcromegalyNeuroendocrine tumours (carcinoid syndrome)Gastrointestinal emergencies (variceal bleeding)Hypersecretion in VIPomas
Official status
US: Prescription
FDA-approved since 1988 as Sandostatin (immediate release) and 1998 as Sandostatin LAR Depot. Prescription-only.
Overview
What is it?
Synthetic octapeptide somatostatin analog with a longer half-life than endogenous somatostatin. FDA- and EMA-approved since the 1980s for acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumours.
How is it meant to work? →
Octreotide is a cyclic octapeptide that selectively binds somatostatin-receptor subtypes SSTR2 and SSTR5. Via G-protein-coupled signalling, adenylyl cyclase is inhibited, reducing the secretion of multiple hormones (growth …
What do studies show? →
Human RCTReduction in GH and IGF-1 levels in acromegaly patients documented in randomised trials
What do users report?
No documented community reports.
01
Mechanism of action
Octreotide is a cyclic octapeptide that selectively binds somatostatin-receptor subtypes SSTR2 and SSTR5. Via G-protein-coupled signalling, adenylyl cyclase is inhibited, reducing the secretion of multiple hormones (growth hormone, IGF-1, glucagon, insulin, VIP, serotonin). Structural stabilisation via a disulfide bridge and D-amino acids extends the half-life relative to natural somatostatin (minutes to several hours).
02
Evidence at a glance
Reading note. The distribution shows on which evidence tier each observation sits. Strong colours mark stronger evidence — weaker tiers are deliberately visible, not hidden.
03
What the studies show
Human RCT
Mensch
Reduction in flush-episode frequency and diarrhoea in carcinoid syndrome reported across multiple studies
What does NOT follow: Symptom control is well established; effect on overall survival varies by study.
Human RCT
Mensch
Rinke A. et al. 2009
Prolongation of progression-free survival in metastatic well-differentiated midgut NETs in the PROMID trial
What does NOT follow: Specific subpopulation; not generalisable to all neuroendocrine tumours.
04
Where studies disagree
Open question
Does octreotide's symptom benefit outweigh its long-term downsides?
POSITION A
Octreotide effectively controls symptoms in acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumours (hormone/secretion suppression).
POSITION B
Suppressing multiple hormones frequently causes gallstones, steatorrhea and glucose changes — relevant long-term downsides.
CURRENT STATE · Established therapy with clear benefit in approved indications; the side-effect profile requires monitoring — not a trade-off for lay use.
05
Pharmacokinetics
Theoretical concentration curve at a half-life of 1.7 h. Pure pharmacokinetic model — not a dosing recommendation.
Open in PK tool →Start time: t₀ = 0h
Repeat interval: off (single dose)
06
Routes of administration in the literature
Which routes of administration the available studies describe — neutral reporting, not a usage guide.
Subcutaneous
Immediate-release administered three times daily subcutaneously in the registration trials.
Intramuscular
Depot form (LAR) is administered once monthly intramuscularly.
06b
Amounts reported in sources
Which amounts were reported in which source — ordered by context (approval, trial, animal model, secondary literature, community).
06d
Safer use & risks
Risk notes for harm reduction — descriptive, not a usage or dosing guide.
This substance is approved (in at least one country) — use belongs in medical hands, within the approved indication and a physician-set dose.
Online numbers are not a benchmark
Amounts from TikTok, YouTube and forums are mostly imitation rather than data — and are often wrongly derived from animal studies (µg/kg). Not a reliable benchmark for humans.
Sterility & infection risk
Injection solutions prepared or stored non-sterile carry an infection and abscess risk. Contamination is common with grey-market product.
Unknown product quality
Research-/grey-market product is not quality-tested: identity, purity and actual content are often unknown, and counterfeits occur.
Mind interactions
Combinations with medications or pre-existing conditions can carry risks (see the Interactions section). Clarify with a doctor beforehand.
Warning signs — seek medical help
With persistent pain, redness/swelling at the injection site, fever, shortness of breath, racing heart, chest pain or allergic reactions, seek medical help immediately.
A doctor, not a forum
Concrete questions about use and amount belong in a conversation with a doctor — not in a comment thread.
07
Known adverse events from studies
Factual reporting of what studies observed. Not a safety statement for individual use.
Human trial
Gallstones / cholelithiasis
Class effect of somatostatin analogs via reduced gallbladder contraction; frequently documented in long-term observations.
häufig bei Langzeit-Therapie
Human RCT
Hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia
Due to simultaneous inhibition of insulin and glucagon, blood glucose may deviate in either direction.
07b
Interactions & combinations
Documented interactions and contraindications from studies, prescribing information and guidelines. Where no data exists, this is stated.
Reporting of risks, NOT a combination guide. The absence of an entry does not mean „safe to combine“ but „not sufficiently studied“.
No documented interactions recorded
We have not yet found robustly documented interactions for this peptide. This does NOT mean none exist — the data is limited.
09
Regulatory voices
Direct statements from official assessment documents — paraphrased with date and source link.
FDAU.S. Food and Drug Administration
2019-09-30Current FDA label for Sandostatin LAR Depot in neuroendocrine tumours.
Sandostatin LAR Depot is indicated for the symptomatic improvement (flushing, diarrhoea) in patients with metastatic carcinoid syndrome and for the treatment of profuse watery diarrhoea associated with VIPoma.
EMAEuropean Medicines Agency
2014-12-15EMA EPAR assessment of Somatuline Autogel (lanreotide, the sister product) — regulatory recognition of growth inhibition in NET.
The CLARINET trial demonstrated a statistically significant prolongation of progression-free survival — a finding that has since shaped the clinical use of somatostatin analogs in first-line NET treatment.
11
Legal status by country
12
Reconstitution calculator
Pure mg/mL maths — works like a calculator. Not a usage recommendation.
Peptides ship as a dry powder. Once dissolved in a liquid (reconstitution), this calculator answers a single question: how much substance is in one millilitre of solution afterwards?
- 1Enter the vial's substance amount (printed on the label).
- 2Enter how much solvent you add.
- 3Result = concentration in mg per mL.
Printed on the label
/
Liquid you add
=
2.50
mg / mL
5 mg in 2 mL gives 2.50 mg/mL — each millilitre contains 2.50 mg of substance.
Cofactors
These cofactors relate to the peptide class, not to a specific use. No recommendation, no dosing.
14
Study register
Human RCTRandomised controlled trialn = 85
Rinke A. et al. · 2009
Placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective, randomized study on the effect of octreotide LAR in the control of tumor growth in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine midgut tumors (PROMID)
Concrete results
Median progression-free survival
14.3 vs 6.0 Monate
vs Placebo · median follow-up
Preclinical
Bauer W. et al. · 1982
SMS 201-995: a very potent and selective octapeptide analogue of somatostatin with prolonged action
Human RCTRandomised controlled trial
Caplin ME. et al. · 2014
Lanreotide in metastatic enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (CLARINET)
Human RCT
European Medicines Agency / U.S. FDA · 2024
Somatostatin Analogs in Acromegaly and NET — EMA / FDA Label Reviews
15
Sources & method
Reviewed by
editor-placeholder
Last reviewed
2026-05-22
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