Because Sandostatin® LAR Depot is administered as a once-a-month intragluteal injection, it must be given by a healthcare professional. There are several ways to ensure that the product is available when it needs to be administered.
- If the patient's insurance allows, you can provide your patient with a prescription and instruct the patient to bring the medication with him or her on a return visit to you
- The Sandostatin® Easy Access program allows Sandostatin® LAR Depot and immediate-release Sandostatin® Injection to be purchased directly through a third-party specialty distributor of Sandostatin® LAR Depot. Just follow the 3-step process below
- The Sandostatin® LAR Depot Nurse Home Injection Program is available for all eligible patients with acromegaly who wish to have the convenience of home care with the quality of a clinical experience. With the Nurse Home Injection Program, patients can receive Sandostatin® LAR Depot by a registered nurse—anytime—and at the location of their choice: home, school, work, or when they are on vacation
Find out more about the Nurse Home Injection Program for Patients with Acromegaly at www.AcromegalyTreatmentAtHome.com
The Easy Access Program
To take advantage of the Easy Access Program, simply follow these 3 steps:
1. Collect
Collect the following information:
- Patient name, address, and phone number
- Patient insurance information (if available)
- Requested delivery date
2. Submit
Submit the patient information to 1-877-884-2472. A Sandostatin® Patient Care Consultant will contact you after verifying insurance benefits and determining available distribution options.
3. Select
Your ordering options may be determined by the specifics of your patient's insurance plan:
- Retail: A third-party distributor will bill the insurance company, contact the patient, collect required copayments, and ship the patient's Sandostatin® LAR Depot to a designated location
- Wholesale: Select this option if the insurer requires that you bill the product in conjunction with the office visit or if you choose to bill the insurance carrier directly for the Sandostatin® LAR Depot and the administration services
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for patients in whom initial treatment with immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection has been shown to be effective and tolerated for:
- Long-term maintenance therapy in acromegalic patients who have had inadequate response to surgery and/or radiotherapy or for whom surgery and/or radiotherapy is not an option (the goal of treatment in acromegaly is to reduce GH and IGF-1 levels to normal).
- Long-term treatment of the severe diarrhea and flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors.
- Long-term treatment of the profuse watery diarrhea associated with VIP-secreting tumors.
In patients with carcinoid syndrome and VIPomas, the effect of Sandostatin Injection and Sandostatin LAR Depot on tumor size, rate of growth and development of metastases has not been determined.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Warnings and Precautions:
- Gallbladder abnormalities may occur: Patients should be monitored periodically.
- Glucose Metabolism: Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia may occur. Blood glucose levels should be monitored when Sandostatin LAR Depot treatment is initiated or when the dose is altered. Antidiabetic treatment should be adjusted accordingly.
- Thyroid Function: Hypothyroidism may occur. Baseline and periodic assessment of thyroid function (TSH, total and/or free T4) is recommended.
- Cardiac Function: Bradycardia, arrhythmia, conduction abnormalities, and other EKG changes may occur. The relationship of these events to octreotide acetate is not established because many of these patients have underlying cardiac disease. Use with caution in at-risk patients.
- Nutrition: Octreotide may alter absorption of dietary fats. Monitoring of vitamin B12 levels is recommended during therapy with Sandostatin LAR Depot. Patients on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and octreotide should have periodic monitoring of zinc levels.
Drug Interactions: The following drugs require monitoring and possible dose adjustment when used with Sandostatin LAR Depot: cyclosporine, insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, beta-blockers, bromocriptine. Octreotide has been associated with alterations in nutrient absorption, so it may have an effect on absorption of orally administered drugs. Drugs mainly metabolized by CYP3A4 and which have a low therapeutic index should be used with caution.
Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions occurring in patients receiving Sandostatin LAR Depot are:
- Acromegaly: biliary abnormalities (52%), diarrhea (36-48%), cholelithiasis (13-38%), abdominal pain or discomfort (11-29%), flatulence (26%), influenza-like symptoms (20%), constipation (19%), headache (15%), anemia (15%), hyperglycemia (15%), injection site pain (2-14%), hypertension (13%), dizziness (12%), fatigue (11%), nausea (10%), vomiting (7%), hypothyroidism (2%), hypoglycemia (2%), and goiter (2%).
- Carcinoid Tumors and VIPomas: biliary abnormalities (62%), injection site pain (20-50%), nausea (24-41%), abdominal pain (10-35%), fatigue (8-32%), headache (16-30%), hyperglycemia (27%), back pain (8-27%), constipation or vomiting (15-21%), dizziness (18-20%), sinus bradycardia (19%), pruritus (18%), URTI (10-18%), myalgia (4-18%), flatulence (9-16%), arthropathy (8-15%), rash (15%), generalized pain (4-15%), sinusitis (5-12%), conduction abnormalities (9%), hypoglycemia (4%), and arrhythmia (3%).
