Octreotide long-acting repeatable for acromegaly.

Acromegaly remains a therapeutic challenge for the endocrinologist. Among the available therapeutic options, octreotide long-acting repeatable (Sandostatin(®) LAR(®), Novartis) plays a chief role, both as a primary therapy and as an adjuvant treatment after unsuccessful surgery. A plethora of papers and a meta-analysis have demonstrated its efficacy in: control of clinical picture; achievement of safe growth hormone and normal age-matched IGF-I levels (both factors associated with restoration of normal life expectancy) in 60-70% of patients; control of tumor volume (with real shrinkage in over half of cases); and halt or reversal of most acromegaly-associated comorbidities. Treatment is well tolerated in most patients and can be safely prolonged for many years if required.