4ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION

Publication Details

The manufacturer is requesting that Genotropin be listed for use in adult patients with GHD. Somatropin, available through other brand names and products, is indicated for additional conditions such as idiopathic short stature and short stature homeobox-containing gene deficiency, for children born small for gestational age and for children with growth failure due to chronic renal failure. The potential for off-label use of Genotropin can be associated with considerable costs to the drug plans. However, it should be noted that this possibility of off-label use is not unique to Genotropin and applies to the other somatropin products on the market in Canada.

A CDR analysis of potential utilization in adult GHD patients in Canada (APPENDIX 1: UTILIZATION ANALYSIS) suggested that Genotropin could be associated with cost savings of up to $1,317,168 per year for public plans.