Pegvisomant, sold under the brand name Somavert, is a growth hormone receptor antagonist used in the treatment of acromegaly.
Medical uses
Pegvisomant is
indicated for the treatment of adults with acromegaly.
Side effects
Side effects of pegvisomant include reactions at the injection site, swelling of the limbs, chest pain,
hypoglycemia, nausea and
hepatitis.
Discovery
Pegvisomant was discovered at Ohio University in 1987 by Distinguished Professor
John Kopchick and graduate student Wen Chen at the Edison Biotechnology Institute. After completing clinical trials, it was approved for the treatment of acromegaly by the
FDA in 2003 and marketed by
Pfizer.
Structure
Pegvisomant is a
protein containing 191
amino acid residues to which several polyethylene glycol polymers have been covalently bound in order to slow clearance from the blood.
The protein is a modified version of
growth hormone designed to bind to and block the growth hormone receptor. It is manufactured using genetically modified
Escherichia coli bacteria.
Mechanism of action
Pegvisomant blocks the action of growth hormone on the growth hormone receptor to reduce the production of IGF-1.
IGF-1 is responsible for most of the symptoms of acromegaly, and the normalization of its levels can control the symptoms.
Long-term treatment studies with pegvisomant as a monotherapy have shown it to be safe,
Research
Some studies show the potential of using pegvisomant as an anti-tumor treatment for certain types of cancers.
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