Hormonal · Dosing reference

Octreotide dosage

Dosing as the FDA label states it, how long trials ran, and the arithmetic for working with vials.

FDA-approvedAHuman trial evidenceFDA label

Full research page Cycle-length evidence Compare Prefer Amiravo on Google

Regulatory status: FDA-approved
Human amounts: Acromegaly: Sandostatin 50 mcg three times daily initially (maintenance 100-500 mcg three times daily); Sandostatin LAR 20 mg every 4 weeks for 3 months initially; Mycapssa 20 mg twice daily initially (maximum 80 mg daily)
Route studied: Subcutaneous or intravenous (injection); intragluteal intramuscular (LAR); oral (Mycapssa)
Frequency: Three times daily (injection, acromegaly); every 4 weeks (LAR); twice daily (Mycapssa)
Half-life: 1.7-1.9 hours (injection)
Evidence grade: Grade A · Human trial evidence
Vial sizes on the market: Not recorded
Other forms seen: —

What Octreotide is

Octreotide is a synthetic eight-residue somatostatin analog, FDA-approved since 1988 (Sandostatin, Sandostatin LAR Depot, and oral Mycapssa) for acromegaly and for diarrhea and flushing from carcinoid tumors and VIPomas.

Octreotide mimics natural somatostatin, inhibiting secretion of growth hormone and, per the label, suppressing TSH; it alters the balance of insulin, glucagon and GH, which can cause hypo- or hyperglycemia ^1. Gastrointestinal effects Single doses inhibit gallbladder contractility and reduce bile secretion in healthy volunteers, which underlies the increased gallstone and sludge formation seen in trials ^1.… How it works →

Key evidence

Rinke et al., J Clin Oncol (PROMID) · 2009 · Humans (85 people with treatment-naive well-differentiated metastatic midgut NETs)
Median time to progression 14.3 versus 6 months (HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.20-0.59); stable disease at 6 months 66.7% versus 37.2%; survival analysis not confirmatory (HR 0.81) ^4. ⁴
Samson et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab (CHIASMA OPTIMAL, NCT03252353) · 2020 · Humans (56 adults with acromegaly controlled on injectable SRLs)
IGF-1 normalization maintained in 58.2% versus 19.4% (P = .008); median time to loss of response 16 weeks with placebo, not reached with oral octreotide ^5. ⁵
Sandostatin prescribing information, adverse reactions · 2026 · Humans (mainly acromegaly and psoriasis trials)
Biliary tract abnormalities 63% (27% gallstones, 24% sludge, 12% duct dilatation); in acromegaly, sinus bradycardia 25% and hyperglycemia 16% ^1. ¹

All studies on the research page

Dosing as stated on the FDA label

Acromegaly (Sandostatin Injection): initial 50 mcg three times daily subcutaneously, titrated to GH or IGF-1; most common dosage 100 mcg three times daily, with some patients requiring up to 500 mcg three times daily ^1.
Carcinoid tumors (Sandostatin Injection): 100 to 600 mcg/day in two to four divided doses during the first 2 weeks; experience above 750 mcg/day is limited ^1.
VIPomas (Sandostatin Injection): 200 to 300 mcg/day in two to four divided doses during the first 2 weeks (range 150 to 750 mcg) ^1.
Sandostatin LAR Depot: acromegaly, 20 mg intragluteally every 4 weeks for 3 months after 2 weeks of the injection; carcinoid tumors and VIPomas, 20 mg every 4 weeks for 2 months; dosages above 30 mg are not recommended ^2.
Mycapssa: 40 mg daily as 20 mg twice daily on an empty stomach, titrated in 20 mg increments to a maximum of 80 mg daily; 20 mg once daily to start in end-stage renal disease ^3.

How long did human studies run?

No human study durations are recorded for Octreotide.

Cycle-length evidence for Octreotide

Side effects reported in studies

Gallbladder abnormalities (stones, sludge, duct dilatation)
63% overall (27% gallstones, 24% sludge without stones, 12% biliary duct dilatation) · Clinical trials, primarily acromegaly or psoriasis ¹
Sinus bradycardia (below 50 bpm)
25%; conduction abnormalities 10%, arrhythmias 9% · Patients with acromegaly ¹
Diarrhea, loose stools, nausea, abdominal discomfort
Each 34% to 61% in acromegaly; 5% to 10% in carcinoid tumors and VIPomas · U.S. studies ¹
Hyperglycemia / hypoglycemia
16% / 3% in acromegaly; about 1.5% in other patients · Label trials ¹
Hypothyroidism
Biochemical hypothyroidism 12%, goiter 8%, 4% needed thyroid replacement · Patients with acromegaly ¹
Injection-site pain, headache, dizziness
7.7%, 6%, 5% · Label trials ¹

Full adverse-event data

Supplies and handling

Lyophilized vial
Sealed vial with the freeze-dried cake. Check the label, lot and the certificate of analysis before opening.
Sterile diluent
The diluent named on the product documentation. Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol; sterile water does not.
Graduated syringes
Sized to the volume being measured. U-100 insulin syringes are graduated in units where 100 units = 1 mL.
Alcohol prep pads
For wiping vial stoppers before each puncture.
Nitrile gloves
Clean gloves for aseptic handling.
Sharps container
Puncture-resistant container for used needles.

Step-by-step reconstitution guide Storage and transport accessories

Storage

Follow the current label for each approved product (injection, depot kit, capsules), which differ in storage requirements; research material per supplier documentation.

Lyophilized (unmixed) vials: typically stored cold and dry, away from light, as the documentation directs. Many are stable longer frozen.
Reconstituted vials: typically refrigerated (about 2–8 °C), protected from light and not frozen.
Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth in multi-use vials; sterile water has no preservative.

Handling mistakes and troubleshooting

Added the wrong volume of diluent: The concentration changes, not the amount of compound in the vial. Recalculate with the volume actually added and relabel the vial.
Shook the vial and it foamed: Let it settle in the refrigerator. Foam is a sign of agitation; some peptides aggregate when shaken. Note it on the label.
The solution is cloudy or has particles: Do not use it. Cloudiness can indicate incomplete dissolution, contamination or degradation. Record the lot and contact the supplier with the certificate of analysis.
The powder cake looks melted or shrunken before reconstitution: This can indicate the vial was exposed to heat or moisture. Record the lot and condition on arrival.
Liquid sprayed back when the needle was removed: Pressure built up in the vial. Withdraw a small volume of air while adding diluent to keep pressure neutral.

Regulatory status

Status: FDA-approved (initial U.S. approval 1988) as Sandostatin Injection (subcutaneous or intravenous) for acromegaly, metastatic carcinoid tumors and VIPomas; Sandostatin LAR Depot (intramuscular, every 4 weeks) for patients who responded to and tolerated the injection; and Mycapssa (oral) for long-term acromegaly maintenance after response to octreotide or lanreotide. The Sandostatin label states that trials did not show improvement in tumor size or growth rate ^1,2,3.
United States (FDA): FDA-approved (initial U.S. approval 1988) as Sandostatin Injection, Sandostatin LAR Depot and Mycapssa; labels reviewed from DailyMed versions dated July 2026, December 2025 and July 2025 ^1,2,3.
Sport (WADA): Octreotide is not named in the 2026 Prohibited List text reviewed; as an approved drug it falls outside S0, but the list's classes include substances with similar biological effects, so status should be confirmed with the relevant anti-doping organization ^6.

Status varies by country and changes over time. How we describe regulatory status.

Octreotide compared with related compounds

Compound	Status	Evidence	Human amounts	Half-life
Octreotide	FDA-approved	A	FDA label	1.7-1.9 hours (injection)
VIP	Investigational	A	Trial doses	A review of VIP in cardiopulmonary disea
PEA	Not approved — research use only	A	None established	—
Kisspeptin-54	Not approved — research use only	B	None established	About 28 minutes (intravenous, healthy m
Triptorelin	FDA-approved	A	FDA label	Terminal half-life about 3 hours after I
Apelin-13	Not approved — research use only	B	None established	Not located as a numeric value in the so

Frequently asked questions

What doses of Octreotide have been studied in humans?

Octreotide is FDA-approved, so the label states the dosing for the approved product. This page quotes it, with citations. It does not apply to research-grade material.

Is there an established Octreotide cycle length?

No. We found no human studies that report treatment duration for Octreotide.

How much bacteriostatic water should be added to a Octreotide vial?

There is no compound-specific volume. The diluent volume only sets the concentration: concentration = mass in the vial ÷ volume added (for example, 10 mg in 2 mL gives 5 mg/mL). The calculator on this page shows the arithmetic for any combination.

How many units is a given amount on an insulin syringe?

On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL. Units for an amount = amount ÷ (concentration per unit). The calculator converts any amount you enter at the concentration you choose; a unit is a volume mark, not an amount of compound.

What is the half-life of Octreotide?

1.7-1.9 hours (injection)

Is Octreotide FDA-approved?

FDA-approved. FDA-approved (initial U.S. approval 1988) as Sandostatin Injection (subcutaneous or intravenous) for acromegaly, metastatic carcinoid tumors and VIPomas; Sandostatin LAR Depot (intramuscular, every 4 weeks) for patients who responded to and tolerated the injection; and Mycapssa (oral) for long-term acromegaly maintenance after response to octreotide or lanreotide. The Sandostatin label states that trials did not show improvement in tumor size or growth rate ^1,2,3.

References

SANDOSTATIN (octreotide acetate) injection, prescribing information (DailyMed SPL version 23, published Jul 24, 2026) FDA label (DailyMed). 2026
SANDOSTATIN LAR DEPOT (octreotide acetate) for injectable suspension, prescribing information (DailyMed SPL version 29, published Dec 23, 2025) FDA label (DailyMed). 2025
MYCAPSSA (octreotide) delayed-release capsules, prescribing information (DailyMed SPL version 6, published Jul 28, 2025) FDA label (DailyMed). 2025
Placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective, randomized study on the effect of octreotide LAR in the control of tumor growth in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine midgut tumors: a report from the PROMID Study Group J Clin Oncol. 2009
Maintenance of Acromegaly Control in Patients Switching From Injectable Somatostatin Receptor Ligands to Oral Octreotide J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020
Tractatenblad 2026 Nr. 25: Anti-doping convention (ETS No. 135), amendment to the appendix - The 2026 Prohibited List, World Anti-Doping Code (English text; entry into force 1 January 2026) Tractatenblad van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (official government publication). 2026
PubChem compound record for octreotide (CID 448601) PubChem. 2026

Last reviewed October 24, 2026 by the Amiravo editorial team. Editorial policy · Report an error