Injection pen will aid those with growth hormone-related conditions

Somatropin [rDNA origin] injection (Norditropin FlexPro, Novo Nordisk), a pre-filled injection pen for use in children and adults with growth hormone disorders, will be available this spring, based on recent FDA approval.

The user-friendly injection features a clicking sound that verifies that the medication has been released from the pen. Somatropin does not need reconstitution nor is it necessary to load cartridges. It comes in 5 mg/1.5 mL, 10 mg/1.5 mL, and 15 mg/1.5 mL pens.

“Easy to use, growth hormone delivery devices allow patients and health care professionals alike to benefit from the convenience of these pens,” said Pinchas Cohen, MD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and chief of endocrinology at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, in a statement.

Somatropin helps treat children with growth failure that is linked to very low or no production of growth hormone and in adults who do not create enough growth hormone. It is also indicated for children with short stature associated with Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, and for children with short stature born small for gestational age with not enough follow-up growth by age 2 to 4 years.

“We worked hard to make daily injections with Norditropin FlexPro simple, hoping to help patients achieve their individual treatment goals,” said Eddie Williams, vice president of biopharmaceuticals at Novo Nordisk. “This approval may provide the thousands of patients with these growth hormone disorders an easy-to-use and simple treatment option.”

Common side effects of Norditropin include headaches, muscle pain, joint stiffness, high blood sugar, sugar in the urine, swollen hands and feet related to fluid retention, and redness and itching near the injection site.