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 Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), also called somatomedin C, is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin which plays an important role in childhood growth, and has anabolic effects in adults. IGF-1 is a protein that in humans ...

(IGF-I) which is used in the long-term treatment of growth failure and

short stature Short stature refers to a height of a human which is below typical. Whether a person is considered short depends on the context. Because of the lack of preciseness, there is often disagreement about the degree of shortness that should be called ' ...

in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency, for instance due to

growth hormone deficiency Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), or human growth hormone deficiency, is a medical condition resulting from not enough growth hormone (GH). Generally the most noticeable symptom is that an individual attains a short height. Newborns may also prese ...

Laron syndrome Laron syndrome (LS), also known as growth hormone insensitivity or growth hormone receptor deficiency (GHRD), is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a lack of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; somatomedin) production in response t ...

(

growth hormone Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in h ...

insensitivity). Mecasermin has a

biological half-life Biological half-life (also known as elimination half-life, pharmacologic half-life) is the time taken for concentration of a biological substance (such as a medication) to decrease from its maximum concentration ( Cmax) to half of Cmax in the bl ...

of about 5.8 hours in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency. A related medication is

mecasermin rinfabate Mecasermin rinfabate (INN, USAN) (brand name Iplex), also known as /, is a drug consisting of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) which is used for ...

(brand name Iplex), which is a combination of mecasermin (rhIGF-1),

insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3, also known as IGFBP-3, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''IGFBP3'' gene. IGFBP-3 is one of six IGF binding proteins ( IGFBP-1 to IGFBP-6) that have highly conserved structures and bind the ...

(IGFBP-3), and

insulin-like growth factor binding protein acid labile subunit Insulin-like growth factor binding protein, acid labile subunit, also known as IGFALS, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ''IGFALS'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is a serum protein that binds insulin-like growt ...

(IGFALS) as a

ternary complex A ternary complex is a protein complex containing three different molecules that are bound together. In structural biology, ''ternary complex'' can also be used to describe a crystal containing a protein with two small molecules bound, for example ...

. 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.

References

External links

* Endocrinology Growth hormones Insulin-like growth factor receptor agonists Insulin receptor agonists Peptides {{Systemic-hormonal-drug-stub