ABSTRACT
Octreotide acetate is an endocrine and metabolic agent, whose actions mimic those of natural hormone somatostatin. It suppresses secretion of serotonin and gastroenteropancreatic peptides (e.g., gastrin, insulin, glucagon, secretin, and motilin), and also suppresses the growth hormone. It is indicated in the symptomatic treatment of diarrhea associated with carcinoid tumors, treatment of profuse watery diarrhea associated with vasoactive intestinal peptide tumors (VIPoma), and to reduce blood levels of growth hormone and IGF-1 in acromegaly patients who have had inadequate response to or cannot be treated with resection, pituitary irradiation, and bromocriptine at maximally tolerated doses.
