Mecasermin

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title: "Mecasermin" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["endocrinology", "growth-hormones", "insulin-like-growth-factor-receptor-agonists", "insulin-receptor-agonists", "peptide-therapeutics"] description: "Pharmaceutical drug" topic_path: "arts/film" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecasermin" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Pharmaceutical drug ::

| Verifiedfields = changed | Watchedfields = changed | verifiedrevid = 462101108 | image =

| tradename = Increlex | Drugs.com = | pregnancy_AU = B3 | pregnancy_category = | routes_of_administration = Subcutaneous injection | ATC_prefix = H01 | ATC_suffix = AC03

| legal_AU = S4 | legal_AU_comment = | legal_CA = Rx-only | legal_CA_comment = / Schedule D | legal_UK = | legal_US = Rx-only | legal_US_comment = | legal_status =

| bioavailability = | protein_bound = | metabolism = | elimination_half-life = 5.8 hours | excretion =

| CAS_number_Ref = | CAS_number = 68562-41-4 | PubChem = | DrugBank_Ref = | DrugBank = DB01277 | UNII_Ref = | UNII = 7GR9I2683O | KEGG_Ref = | KEGG = D04870 | ChEMBL_Ref = | ChEMBL = 1201716 | ChemSpiderID_Ref = | ChemSpiderID = none | synonyms = FK-780; Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1; rhIGF-1; Somatomedin-1

| IUPAC_name = | C=331 | H=512 | N=94 | O=101 | S=7

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 (IGF-I) which is used in the long-term treatment of growth failure and short stature in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency, for instance due to growth hormone deficiency or Laron syndrome (growth hormone insensitivity).

Mecasermin has a biological half-life of about 5.8 hours in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.

A related medication is mecasermin rinfabate (brand name Iplex), which is a combination of mecasermin (rhIGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein acid labile subunit (IGFALS) as a ternary complex. 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.

Mecasermin therapy has been also shown to be beneficial in other conditions not related to growth failure, including diabetes mellitus and anorexia nervosa.

References

References

1. "Increlex {{!}} Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)".
2. (23 October 2014). "Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) for Increlex".
3. (7 May 2020). "Increlex- mecasermin injection, solution".
4. (June 2009). "Profile of mecasermin for the long-term treatment of growth failure in children and adolescents with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency". Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management.
5. "Increlex". Drugs.com.
6. "Iplex (mecasermin rinfabate [rDNA origin] injection) Package Insert". U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
7. (2008). "Mecasermin". BioDrugs.

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