Adrenocorticotropic hormone is used as a medication and as diagnostic agent in the ACTH stimulation test. : 316, 1165 : 84, 271 The form that is purified from pig pituitary glands is known as corticotropin: 316  is a medication and naturally occurring polypeptide tropic hormone produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. : 84 The form that is made synthetically is tetracosactide, also known as synacthen, tetracosactrin and cosyntropin. : 1165 : 271  It consists of the first 24 (of a total of 39) amino acids of ACTH and retains full function of the parent peptide. : 1165   Tetracosactide stimulates the release of corticosteroids such as cortisol from the adrenal glands, and is used for the ACTH stimulation test to assess adrenal gland function. : 271

Medical uses
Both corticotropin and tetracosactide have been used for diagnostic purposes to determine adrenocortical insufficiency, particularly in Addisons disease, via the ACTH stimulation test. However, as of 2015 the US label for corticotropin does not include diagnostic use.Both corticotropin and tetracosactide have been used for therapeutic purposes.
Corticotrophin branded as "Acthar", was first approved in 1950 and was subsequently discontinued; as of January 2017 this NDA was under control of Sanofi. A corticotrophin was approved in 1957 under NDA 010831, was subsequently discontinued, and as of January 2017 was under control of Organics/Lagrange, a subsidiary of Abbvie via Abbotts acquisition of Solvays drug business. A generic version under this NDA was approved under ANDA 088772 and was subsequently discontinued, and as of January 2017 was under the control of Actavis. A corticotrophin called H.P. Acthar Gel was approved in 1952 and as of January 2017 was under the control of Mallinckrodt. A repository version of H.P. Acthar gel was approved in 2010 and as of January 2017 was also under the control of Mallinkrodt.Synthetic forms were created as a replacement for the animal-derived products.In the US,  available forms of tetracosactide/cosyntropin, the synthetic form of corticotrophin, have been approved only for diagnostic uses, and have included:

A branded version called Cortrosyn, which was created and developed by Organon and was approved by the FDA in 1970, and as of January 2017 was under the control of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, and there were three generic versions under ANDAs, one for Mylan approved in 2009, one for Sandoz/Novartis, approved in 2012, and another for Amphastar under ANDA 016750. This version is a powder that is reconstituted before use.