Mecasermin, sold under the brand name Increlex, also known as recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 (rhIGF-1), is a
recombinant form of human
insulin-like growth factor 1
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), also called somatomedin C, is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin which plays an important role in childhood growth, and has anabolic effects in adults.
IGF-1 is a protein that in humans ...
(IGF-I) which is used in the long-term treatment of
growth failure and
short stature
Short stature refers to a height of a human which is below typical. Whether a person is considered short depends on the context. Because of the lack of preciseness, there is often disagreement about the degree of shortness that should be called ' ...
in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency, for instance due to
growth hormone deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), or human growth hormone deficiency, is a medical condition resulting from not enough growth hormone (GH). Generally the most noticeable symptom is that an individual attains a short height. Newborns may also prese ...
or
Laron syndrome
Laron syndrome (LS), also known as growth hormone insensitivity or growth hormone receptor deficiency (GHRD), is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a lack of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; somatomedin) production in response t ...
(
growth hormone
Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in h ...
insensitivity).
Mecasermin has a
biological half-life
Biological half-life (also known as elimination half-life, pharmacologic half-life) is the time taken for concentration of a biological substance (such as a medication) to decrease from its maximum concentration ( Cmax) to half of Cmax in the bl ...
of about 5.8 hours in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.
A related medication is
mecasermin rinfabate
Mecasermin rinfabate (INN, USAN) (brand name Iplex), also known as /, is a drug consisting of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) which is used for ...
(brand name Iplex), which is a combination of mecasermin (rhIGF-1),
insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3
Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3, also known as IGFBP-3, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''IGFBP3'' gene. IGFBP-3 is one of six IGF binding proteins ( IGFBP-1 to IGFBP-6) that have highly conserved structures and bind the ...
(IGFBP-3), and
(IGFALS) as a
ternary complex
A ternary complex is a protein complex containing three different molecules that are bound together. In structural biology, ''ternary complex'' can also be used to describe a crystal containing a protein with two small molecules bound, for example ...
.
The complex serves to prolong the action of mecasermin in the human body; the half-life of mecasermin when provided as this complex is 13.4 hours in individuals with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.
References
External links
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Endocrinology
Growth hormones
Insulin-like growth factor receptor agonists
Insulin receptor agonists
Peptides
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