Gonadorelin is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist) which is used in fertility medicine and to treat amenorrhea and hypogonadism.
Medical uses
Gonadorelin is used as a
diagnostic agent to assess
pituitary gland function.
It is also used in the treatment of primary
hypothalamus amenorrhea, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (e.g., Kallmann syndrome),
delayed puberty,
cryptorchidism, and
infertility.
Unlike other GnRH analogues, it is not used to suppress sex hormone production.
Available forms
Gonadorelin is available in a portable
infusion pump that provides pulsatile subcutaneous administration of the drug.
The usual dosage delivered is 5 to 20 μg of gonadorelin per pulse every 90 to 120 minutes.
It is also available in solution form for intravenous or subcutaneous injection and as a
nasal spray.
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Gonadorelin is an
agonist of the
GnRH receptor and is used to induce the
secretion of the
follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone from the
pituitary gland and to increase
sex hormone biosynthesis by the
.
Pharmacokinetics
Gonadorelin has a distribution half-life of 2 to 10 minutes and a very short terminal half-life of 10 to 40 minutes.
It is
metabolism by
hydrolysis into smaller peptide components.
History
Gonadorelin was available for medical use, under the brand name Factrel, as early as 1978.
Society and culture
Generic names
Gonadorelin is the
generic term of the drug and its , , and , while
gonadorelina is its and
gonadoréline is its . The
acetate salt is known as
gonadorelin acetate and this is its , , and , while the
hydrochloride salt is known as
gonadorelin hydrochloride and this is its and .
Brand names
Free alcohol gonadorelin has been marketed under the brand names Cryptocur, Cystoréline, Fertagyl, GnRH Serono, Gonadorelin, HRF, Kryptocur, LH-RH, Luforan, Pulstim, Relefact, Relisorm L, Stimu-LH, and Wyeth-Ayest HRF.
Gonadorelin diacetate has been marketed under the brand names Kryptocur, LHRH Ferring, Lutamin, Lutrelef, Lutrepulse, Relisorm L, and Relisorm.
GnRH hydrochloride has been marketed under the brand names Factrel, HRF, and Luforan.
Additional brand names of gonadorelin and its salts include Acegon, Conceptyl, Cystorelin, Enagon, Equity Oestrus Control, Fertagyl Cattle, Fertiral, Gonabreed, Gonadorelin Interpharm, Gonasyn, Gonavet Veyx, Hypocrine, Improvest, LH RH Tanabe, LHRH Ferring, LH-RH Ferring, LH-RH Tanabe, Oestracton, OvaCyst, Ovsynch, OVsynch, Ovurelin, Ovarelin, and Relefact LH-RH.
The majority of these brand names are for veterinary use.
Availability
Gonadorelin is available widely throughout the world for veterinary use, including in the
United States,
Canada, the
United Kingdom,
Ireland, elsewhere throughout
Europe,
South Africa,
Australia,
New Zealand,
Japan,
Taiwan, and in many other countries.
However, gonadorelin is not available for clinical use in humans in the
United States.
See also
-
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor § Agonists
