When you begin treatment with 28-day Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension), your treatment plan will progress in 1 of 2 ways.
If your doctor has prescribed Sandostatin® LAR Depot for the first time
You will start treatment on the daily-injection form of the drug. For the first 2 weeks, you will give yourself daily injections of immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection. These subcutaneous (under the skin) injections are repeated 2 to 4 times a day.
There are 2 reasons why it is important to begin your therapy with daily injections:
- Your doctor can observe how well immediate release Sandostatin® Injection is working at the starting dose
- It helps to determine if you are experiencing any side effects
Once your doctor has seen how you are responding to and tolerating immediate release Sandostatin® Injection, you will most likely be switched to 28-day Sandostatin® LAR Depot.
If you are currently receiving daily injections of immediate release Sandostatin® Injection
Your doctor may switch you directly to once-every-28-day Sandostatin® LAR Depot. As with patients prescribed Sandostatin® LAR Depot for the first time, you will be given a starting dose for the first 2 to 3 months. At that point, your dose may be continued at the same level, or changed based on your progress.
Learn about maintaining therapy with Sandostatin® LAR Depot.
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. 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.
