As of September 2026, lanreotide is an approved medicine in the US and the EU for acromegaly and for neuroendocrine tumors of the gut and pancreas. Most of its evidence is placebo-controlled or observational, and long-term head-to-head data against octreotide LAR are limited. The FDA approved it as Somatuline Depot. If a vial reached you outside a pharmacy, you cannot check from the outside that it is the same thing.
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What is lanreotide?
Lanreotide is a lab-made, long-acting version of somatostatin, a natural hormone that holds back the release of growth hormone and gut hormones. Ipsen, a French company, developed it in the 1990s as a longer-lasting option in octreotide's class. The FDA approved it as Somatuline Depot in 2007 for acromegaly, and later for neuroendocrine tumors of the gut and pancreas.
Does lanreotide work?
For acromegaly and for neuroendocrine tumors of the gut and pancreas, known as GEP-NETs, the FDA reviewed the trials and approved it. The EMA approved it for equivalent uses.
What we found. 6+ completed randomized trials counted on the record. 3 study rows listed below, and two of them stand for groups of studies. The number shows with a plus sign until every trial is listed.
| Study | Tested in | Status | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acromegaly registration trials (Phase 3) | People | Completed. Approved in 2007 | Sustained control of growth hormone and IGF-1 |
| CLARINET trial, against placebo | People | Completed. Approval followed | Longer progression-free survival than with placebo in NETs of the gut and pancreas. That is time without the disease getting worse |
| Long-term follow-up studies in acromegaly | People | Ongoing or completed. The record does not say which | Extension studies report sustained biochemical (lab-measured) control over years of use |
Is lanreotide safe?
Known concerns match those of other medicines in its class: gallstones, blood sugar disturbances and reactions where the medicine is given. The record describes a solid human evidence base built over decades. What it has little of is long-term data that set lanreotide directly against octreotide LAR in the same patients. These lines describe Somatuline Depot. Whether a vial from another source matches it is a question for the vial section.
Is lanreotide legal?
- United States
- Approved by the FDA in 2007 as Somatuline Depot for acromegaly. The label was later widened to neuroendocrine tumors of the gut and pancreas.
- European Union
- Approved by the EMA.
- Sport
- Not named on WADA's list. That is not clearance.
Not medical advice. Approval and sport status as of . Medical disclaimer
What is in a vial sold as lanreotide?
The registration trials above led to the approval of Somatuline Depot. This record shows no sign of lanreotide being sold outside pharmacies, and it sets the medicine apart from compounds sold in unregulated channels. If a vial came to you another way, none of those trials tested it, and the checklist lists what to ask the seller.
What don't we know?
- Whether it or octreotide LAR does better over the long term. Head-to-head data are limited.
- What a large head-to-head randomized trial against others in its class would show in NETs.
- Whether a vial from outside a pharmacy matches Somatuline Depot.
The other side
Lanreotide comes with a prescription and a doctor's care, and the record describes a solid human evidence base built over decades. What is still thin is the direct, long-term comparison with octreotide LAR in the same patients.
What would change this record?
- A large head-to-head randomized trial against other somatostatin analogues in NETs. It would clarify how long-term outcomes compare.
Three questions to ask next
- What does 'research use only' actually mean?
- How can you tell if a peptide vendor is legitimate?
- How do you read a certificate of analysis?
Ask better questions.
More questions about lanreotide
What is lanreotide used for?
- Acromegaly, and neuroendocrine tumors of the gut and pancreas (GEP-NETs). Those are the uses the FDA approved, and the record says the EMA approved it for equivalent ones.
Is lanreotide the same as Somatuline Depot?
- Somatuline Depot is the brand name of the lanreotide product the FDA approved in 2007.
Is lanreotide the same as octreotide?
- No. Both are lab-made versions of somatostatin. Ipsen developed lanreotide in the 1990s as a longer-lasting option in the same class.
Has lanreotide been compared with octreotide?
- Long-term head-to-head data are limited, the record says. The comparison it means is with octreotide LAR, the long-acting octreotide product. Most of the evidence is placebo-controlled or observational.
Is lanreotide banned in sport?
- It is not named on WADA's list. The record gives no sport source for that. If you compete, check the current List.
Record checked on . Each source shows the date it was checked.
In the same group
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