Somatropin

Approved medicine

The FDA has approved a version of this as a medicine, so it has been through large studies in people.

Also called rhGH / Human growth hormone / Genotropin / Norditropin / Humatrope

Lab-made human growth hormone. Approved for specific medical conditions and prescription-only.

Can a doctor prescribe this?

Yes. Pharmacies are allowed to make it, so a doctor can write a prescription for it.

The FDA has approved a version of this as a medicine.

An approved prescription drug. US federal law separately restricts distributing it for uses it was not approved for.

Official status: On the 503A bulks list. Checked 2026-08-04.

Doses used in research

Taken word for word from the studies and trials listed on this page. This is not a recommendation and not a dose for anyone to take.

In human trials

See source wording
under the skin · daily · for 28 days
rHGH and Intestinal Permeability in Intestinal FailurePHASE4 · NCT01380366
“Patients are given somatropin (growth hormone) for their short bowel syndrome for 28 days at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg subcutaneously daily to a maximum of 8 mg daily..”
0.067 mg/kg/day
under the skin
Saizen in Intra-uterine Growth RetardationPHASE3 · NCT01400698
“Observed until the first signs of puberty and then continuous treatment with r-hGH 0.067 mg/kg/day sc or observed without treatment..”
0.067 mg/kg/day
for 12 months
Neuromuscular Changes In Small For Gestational Age Children During Somatropin TherapyPHASE3 · NCT00625872
“After six months the control group will undergo GH therapy with a higher dose of 0.067 mg/kg/day, too.”
See source wording
Long Term Study of Genotropin (Somatropin) for Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age (SGA)PHASE4 · NCT01859949
“Genotropin(somatoropin) 12 mg, Genotropin(somatropin) will be given at a dose of 0.067 mg/kg/day or 0.033 mg/kg/day to all participating patients.”
0.035 mg/kg/day
under the skin · for 52 weeks
GB06 Phase III Trial for Pediatric Growth Hormone DeficiencyPHASE3 · NCT07553351
“GB06 0.035mg/kg/day by subcutaneous injection for 52 weeks.”
See source wording
daily
Treatment With Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (GH) in Children With Short Stature Secondary to a Long Term Corticoid TherapyPHASE3 · NCT00174187
“liquid, daily, until final height Dosage: 0,46 mg/kg/week .”

Efficacy and safety of once-weekly somatrogon following up to 4 years of treatment in Japanese children with growth hormone deficiency: results from an open-label extension of a phase 3 study.
Study in people
Endocrine journal · 2026
Recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) for muscle enhancement in knee osteoarthritis: protocol for a pilot, randomised placebo-controlled trial.
Study in people
BMJ open · 2026
Once-Weekly Lonapegsomatropin Was Efficacious and Well Tolerated in Chinese Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency: Results from a Phase 3 Randomized Trial.
Study in people
Hormone research in paediatrics · 2026
Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of biosimilar recombinant growth hormone in children with growth hormone deficiency: non-inferiority, randomized, parallel, multicentric and Phase III trial.
Study in people
Expert opinion on drug safety · 2025
Study of Testosterone and Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy.
Study in people
Neurology. Genetics · 2025
Design, Synthesis, and Proof-of-Concept Bioassay of an Encapsulated mRNA for Human Growth Hormone.
Animal study, rats or mice
Current issues in molecular biology · 2026
[Multiple clinical effects of recombinant human growth hormone therapy].
Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics · 2026
Efficacy and influencing factors of recombinant human growth hormone therapy in children with Turner syndrome: a single-center retrospective cohort study.
Translational pediatrics · 2026
Effectiveness of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Therapy in Small-for-Gestational-Age Children With Short Stature: A Stratified Analysis Based on Genetic Variant Status.
Clinical endocrinology · 2026
The relationship between pituitary size and the response to recombinant human growth hormone therapy in children with isolated growth hormone deficiency.
Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026
Long-Term Metabolic Effects of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Therapy in Childhood- Onset Craniopharyngioma Survivors
Journal not recorded · 2026
Analysis of differences in response to long-acting growth hormone therapy and influencing factors between patients with idiopathic short stature (ISS) and growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
Translational pediatrics · 2026
Impact of growth hormone treatment on childhood growth patterns in Kermanshah: A retrospective cohort study.
Journal of education and health promotion · 2026
Longitudinal changes in nonfunctioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumors in children receiving growth hormone therapy: A comparison with untreated patients.
Archivos argentinos de pediatria · 2026
Therapeutic efficacy of leuprorelin acetate combined with rhGH in girls with ICPP and Its impact on body height and secondary sexual characteristics.
Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2026
Case Report: Growth hormone deficiency and response to treatment in MIRAGE syndrome: expanding the endocrine phenotype.
Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026
Revisiting HIV-Associated Wasting: Results from a U.S. Cross-Sectional Survey of Health Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitude, and Current Practices.
AIDS research and human retroviruses · 2026
Metabolic and bone effects of long-acting polyethylene glycol-recombinant human growth hormone in growth hormone deficiency during the transition period: a prospective study.
Annals of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism · 2026
Dose optimization and safety of long-acting pegylated growth hormone in pubertal idiopathic short stature: A retrospective real-world group study.
Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society · 2026
Interpretable Machine Learning for Predicting Suboptimal 12-Month Growth Response to Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Children with Idiopathic Short Stature: A Dual-Center External Validation Study.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
Analysis of the effect of recombinant human growth hormone therapy on metabolic parameters in patients with severe growth hormone deficiency in adulthood.
Endokrynologia Polska · 2026
PEG-rhGH successfully improved the height of a patient with rare 45,X[40]/46,XY[31] disorder of sex development: the first reported case.
Translational pediatrics · 2026
Accumulated safety data of recombinant human growth hormone therapy in Korean children over a 10-year period: interim results from the LG Growth Study.
Endocrine connections · 2026
Two-year real-world experience with somatrogon in children and adolescents with growth hormone deficiency.
Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026
PRKAR1A-related acrodysostosis with partial growth hormone deficiency: 18-month response to recombinant human growth hormone.
Hormones (Athens, Greece) · 2026
Association between recombinant human growth hormone therapy and refractive status in Korean children with idiopathic short stature: a cross-sectional study.
Scientific reports · 2026
Recombinant human growth hormone in pediatric patients using the FAERS database: Safety profile and update for the period 2004 - 2024.
International journal of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2026
Is Somatrogon different? 6-month clinical outcomes and follow-up data in Turkish children transitioned from Somatropin to Somatrogon.
Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society · 2026
Low Bone Mass is Common and Associated with Delayed Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Adult Brazilian Women with Turner Syndrome.
Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry · 2026
Clinical evidence, practical contradictions, and monitoring of rhGH-assisted height enhancement in children with CAH.
Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM · 2026
Weekly pegylated recombinant human growth hormone for prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency: adherence advantage drives superior short-term efficacy over daily rhGH.
Translational pediatrics · 2026
Real-World Adult Height Outcomes in Girls with Central Precocious Puberty Receiving GnRHa Monotherapy or Combined with Growth Hormone: A Cohort Study in China.
Advances in therapy · 2026
Global trends in recombinant human growth hormone for the treatment of idiopathic short stature: a bibliometric analysis.
Frontiers in medicine · 2025
Comparing the efficacy and safety of weekly somatrogon with daily somatropin in Asian children living with growth hormone deficiency: a plain language summary of publication.
Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism · 2025
New directions in growth hormone treatment in children.
Pediatric endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism · 2025
Safety and Effectiveness of a Biosimilar Recombinant Growth Hormone in Adults with Growth Hormone Deficiency: Analysis of Final Data from PATRO Adults, an International Post-Marketing Surveillance Study.
Drug design, development and therapy · 2024
Somatropin
Journal not recorded · 2006
Once-weekly somapacitan vs. daily norditropin in GHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy and safety in children and adults.
Review of earlier work
Endocrine · 2026
Patient and Caregiver Preferences for Once-Weekly Injection Devices for the Treatment of Growth Hormone Deficiency.
Review of earlier work
Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2026
Can long-acting growth hormone improve adherence in pediatric growth hormone deficiency?
Review of earlier work
Endocrine · 2026
Predictors of Response to Growth Hormone Therapy in Children with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Narrative Review.
Review of earlier work
Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
Long-Acting Growth Hormone Versus Daily Growth Hormone for Growth Hormone Deficiency Patients: A Network Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.
Review of earlier work
Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism · 2026
Comparison of efficacy and safety between long-acting growth hormone and short-acting growth hormone in isolated growth hormone deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials involving 2,435 pediatric patients.
Review of earlier work
Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026
Long-Acting Growth Hormone for Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency.
Review of earlier work
Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2025