Acromegaly
Octreotide can also be used in the treatment of acromegaly, a disorder of excessive growth hormone (GH). Octreotide, being a somatostatin analog, inhibits the release of GH from the pituitary gland through a process normally involved in negative feedback. In June 2020, Mycapssa (octreotide) was approved for medical use in the United States with an indication for the long-term maintenance treatment in acromegaly patients who have responded to and tolerated treatment with octreotide or lanreotide. Mycapssa is the first and only oral somatostatin analog (SSA) approved by the FDA. Gastrointestinal fistulae
Octreotide helps in management of the fistula by reducing gastrointestinal secretions and inhibiting gastrointestinal motility, thus controlling and reducing its output. The value in healing intestinal fistulas is yet to be proven and routine use is limited because of the side effects. Hypoglycemia
Octreotide is also used in the treatment of refractory hypoglycemia in neonates and sulphonylurea-induced hypoglycemia in adults. It is useful in overdose management of sulfonylurea type antidiabetic medications, when recurrent or refractory to parenteral dextrose. Mechanism of action is the suppression of insulin secretion. Gastrointestinal secretions
Octreotide is used in the palliative care setting to reduce gastrointestinal secretions, with the intention of alleviating vomiting associated with bowel obstruction. Contraindications
Octreotide has not been adequately studied for the treatment of children as well as pregnant and lactating women. The drug is given to these groups only if a risk-benefit analysis is positive.
History
Octreotide acetate was approved for use in the United States in 1988.In January 2020, approval of octreotide acetate in the United States was granted to Sun Pharmaceutical under the brand name Bynfezia Pen for the treatment of:
the reduction of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (somatomedin C) in adults with acromegaly who have had inadequate response to or cannot be treated with surgical resection, pituitary irradiation, and bromocriptine mesylate at maximally tolerated doses
severe diarrhea/flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors in adults
profuse watery diarrhea associated with vasoactive intestinal peptide tumors (VIPomas) in adults

Society and culture
Legal status
On 15 September 2022, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Mycapssa, intended for the treatment of adults with acromegaly. The applicant for this medicinal product is Amryt Pharmaceuticals DAC. Research
Octreotide has also been used off-label for the treatment of severe, refractory diarrhea from other causes. It is used in toxicology for the treatment of prolonged recurrent hypoglycemia after sulfonylurea and possibly meglitinide overdose. It has also been used with varying degrees of success in infants with nesidioblastosis to help decrease insulin hypersecretion.