Fast Answers
On this page you'll find answers to questions you may have about acquisition and usage. If you have additional questions, you can get answers from the Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline.
Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline
For fast answers, call the Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline:
1-877-LAR-HELP
(1-877-527-4357)
Monday through Friday,
8 AM to 7 PM EST
The Hotline provides assistance with acquisition and other issues so that you can get Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) to your patients easily and conveniently. Depending on your needs, the Hotline staff can help with:
- Identifying distributors available to ship Sandostatin® (in temperature-controlled packaging) to any requested location
- Expediting calls for medical information
- Providing mixing and administration support and handling product replacement requests
Our pledge is to provide a comprehensive selection of professional services designed to make your experience with once-a-month Sandostatin® LAR Depot as easy for you as it is for your patients.
Q & A
Q: How do I start a patient on Sandostatin®?
A: After verifying the patient's insurance, you can use the Easy Access program. It's a fast and convenient way to obtain Sandostatin® LAR Depot.
Q: Why should I switch a patient from immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection to once-a-month Sandostatin® LAR Depot?
A: Once-monthly Sandostatin® LAR Depot provides the same control as immediate release Sandostatin® Injection, but over a 28-day period. A single injection administered by a patient's healthcare team helps a patient "forget" about their treatment and allows appropriate monitoring of the patient's condition.
Q: When can I call 1-877-LAR-HELP (1-877-527-4357)?
A: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM EST
Q: What types of services or programs can I expect from 1-877-LAR-HELP?
A: Any information you need on acquisition, reimbursement, billing, coding, claims appeal, and obtaining the drug. You can also call 1-877-LAR-HELP for any other reason. Though the Patient Care Specialists may not have the answer, they should be able to lead you to your answer.
Q: Where can Sandostatin® be shipped?
A: To almost any location, and it will arrive in temperature-controlled packaging for immediate refrigeration.
Sandostatin® LAR Depot Q & A
To save you time, we've answered questions that may come up with initial use of Sandostatin® LAR Depot. Of course, if your question is not answered here, simply call the Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline at 1-877-LAR-HELP (1-877-527-4357). For additional information about Sandostatin® LAR Depot, please refer to the full
Prescribing Information.
Q: What is the difference between immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection and Sandostatin® LAR Depot?
A: Sandostatin® LAR Depot is a long-acting depot dosage form, consisting of microspheres of a biodegradable polymer containing octreotide acetate, which allows injection once every 28 days. It exhibits all of the clinical and pharmacologic characteristics of the immediate dosage form of Sandostatin® Injection with the added feature of slow release. This reduces the need for frequent administration.
Q: What is the recommended dosage interval?
A: To maintain optimal control, Sandostatin® LAR Depot must be administered once every 28 days.
Q: How do you administer Sandostatin® LAR Depot?
A: Sandostatin® LAR Depot should be administered by a trained healthcare professional at 28-day intervals. It is administered via deep intragluteal injection. It is absolutely critical that the product is not injected subcutaneously, or intravenously, or in any muscle other than the gluteus.
Q: What if the powder does not seem to be saturated completely in 5 minutes?
A: The powder must be saturated with the diluent before you begin to swirl the vial. Continue to check the vial every 30 seconds until the powder is evenly wet.
Q: What if the suspension "clumps" or flocculates while in the vial?
A: Shaking or inverting the vial during the preparation process may cause the product to become solid and incapable of being drawn up into the syringe. If the product "clumps" or flocculates, it is not usable. You will need to start the preparation process again with a new vial of Sandostatin® LAR Depot. Contact 1-877-LAR-HELP, and ask for assistance. Never shake or invert the vial while preparing Sandostatin® LAR Depot.
Q: It looks as though there is still some product left in the vial after I draw out the suspension. Why?
A: This is normal. It is not necessary to draw all the suspended drug into the syringe. The vial has been slightly "overfilled" with powder to allow for ease of mixing, and it is expected that some of the product will coat the side and remain in the bottom of the vial. To draw up the maximum amount of drug, tilt the vial at a 45º angle and, with the bevel of the needle down, slowly draw the contents of the vial into the syringe. Do not invert the vial when filling the syringe. Draw the suspension from the bottom of the vial.
Q: What can be done if the product seems to come out of suspension after it has been drawn into the syringe?
A: You should moderately rock the syringe back and forth to maintain suspension. Do not invert the syringe. Remember that Sandostatin® LAR Depot must be administered immediately after the product has been prepared for injection.
Q: What should I do if the needle clogs while injecting Sandostatin® LAR Depot?
A: Replace the needle with another 1 1/2", 19-gauge needle. This size is necessary to handle the microsphere formulation.
Q: What should I do if I have any other questions during the preparation and/or administration of Sandostatin® LAR Depot?
A: For personal instruction and information regarding the preparation and/or administration of Sandostatin® LAR Depot, call the Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline at 1-877-LAR-HELP.
Q: What should I do if a vial of Sandostatin® LAR Depot becomes unusable?
A: Immediately call 1-877-LAR-HELP for information about the Novartis returned goods program.
Q: Is patient educational information available?
A: Yes, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation makes information available to patients taking Sandostatin® LAR Depot. For example, there is a patient information booklet on acromegaly and one on carcinoid syndrome.
Q: How should patients and/or healthcare professionals address reimbursement issues?
A: For help with insurance questions, patients should call the Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline at: 1-877-LAR-HELP. This telephone number is also provided in the following patient booklets: "Living With Acromegaly," "Living With Carcinoid Syndrome," and "A Patient's Guide to Treatment With Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension)."
Healthcare professionals should call the Sandostatin® Therapy Support Hotline at 1-877-LAR-HELP. This Hotline will help answer questions from professionals concerning coding, verify insurance coverage, investigate prior authorization requirements, and help file denied claims appeals.
Important Safety Information
Carcinoid Syndrome:
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for long-term treatment of the severe diarrhea and flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors and for the long-term treatment of the profuse watery diarrhea associated with VIP-secreting tumors in patients in whom initial treatment with immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection has been shown to be effective and tolerated.
Important Safety Information:
As with immediate release Sandostatin® Injection, the most frequently reported drug-related adverse events were biliary disorders (62%), gastrointestinal disorders (14% to 38%), and injection-site pain (20% to 50%). Hypoglycemia (4%), hyperglycemia (27%), sinus bradycardia (19%), conduction abnormalities (9%), and arrhythmias (3%) have been reported.
The controlled clinical trials that support the marketing clearance for Sandostatin® LAR Depot did not include determination of effect on tumor size or rate of growth. Sandostatin® LAR Depot is not indicated for tumor shrinkage.
Acromegaly
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for long-term maintenance therapy in acromegalic patients who have had an 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.
Important Safety Information:
As with immediate release Sandostatin® Injection, the most frequently reported drug-related adverse events were biliary disorders (52%), gastrointestinal disorders (7% to 36%), and injection-site pain (2% to 11%). Hypoglycemia (2%), hyperglycemia (15%), and hypothyroidism (2%) have been reported. While not measured in acromegalic patients receiving Sandostatin® LAR Depot, ECG changes have been reported in patients receiving immediate release Sandostatin® Injection; the degree to which these abnormalities are related to octreotide acetate is not clear, as many acromegalics have cardiovascular disease. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
