ON THE USE OF A NEW SOMATOSTATIN ANALOGUE IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPOGLYCAEMIA IN PATIENTS WITH INSULINOMA

A novel potent analogue of somatostatin, the octapepide SMS 201-995 was tested as a therapeutic manoeuvre to prevent hypoglycaemia in patients with insulinoma. We investigated the acute effects of a single 50 micrograms dose of the analogue administered s.c. in three patients, comparing the results in two of them with those obtained after administration of saline (control) and native somatostatin. In addition two patients were treated for up to 5 d with two or three daily s.c. injections (daily dose of analogue ranging from 100 to 300 micrograms). In two of the three patients SMS 201-995 suppressed circulating insulin levels by more than 50% and increased plasma glucose to hyperglycaemic levels for 6-8 h after a single injection. No undesirable effects of the administration of the analogue were observed. As opposed to insulin suppression obtained with native somatostatin, no rebound increase in insulin levels was observed after administration of the analogue. We conclude that SMS 201-995 prevented hypoglycaemia in two out of three patients with insulinoma. The advantage of s.c. administration, the long duration of action and the absence of a rebound phenomenon give this analogue a place in the pre-operative management of patients with insulinoma.