Products
Follitropin alfa is commercially available as an injectable. It has been approved in many countries since 1995. Biosimilars are approved in some countries (Switzerland: Ovaleap, 2018).
Structure and properties
Follitropin alfa is a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) produced by biotechnological methods. It is a heterodimer and consists of two distinct glycoproteins, the α-subunit (92 amino acids) and the β-subunit (111 amino acids), which are non-covalently bound to each other. FSH is a hormone of the anterior pituitary gland that plays an important role in follicle maturation and spermatogenesis. Follitropin alfa differs from follitropin beta in glycosylation. In contrast, the sequence is identical.
Effects
Follitropin alfa (ATC G03GA05) stimulates the development of mature Graafian follicles in women, which is a prerequisite for implantation (ovulation).
Indications
- Stimulation of follicular growth and ovulation in women with hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction who have oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea.
- Sterility due to anovulation (including polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS).
- Targeted multifollicular ovarian stimulation in women participating in physician-assisted reproductive programs.
- With luteinizing hormone (LH) to stimulate follicular maturation in women who have severe LH and FSH deficiency.
- With human chorionic gonadotropin to stimulate spermatogenesis in men suffering from congenital or acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
Dosage
According to the professional information. The drug is administered subcutaneously.
Contraindications
For complete precautions, see the drug label.
Interactions
Drug-drug interactions are possible with other agents also used for ovulation stimulation (eg, hCG, clomiphene citrate) and with GnRH analogs.
Adverse effects
The most common potential adverse effects include injection site reactions such as redness, swelling, pain, and bruising, as well as headache and ovarian cysts.
