Does somatropin expire?
The printed date covers the sealed pack. Once somatropin is opened, mixed or diluted, its label sets a second and usually much shorter limit — quoted below, per product.
Shortest limit on any somatropin label: 21 days
“After reconstitution of the lyophilized powder, the contents of the OMNITROPE vial must be used within 21 days.”
That applies to the product it is printed on, not to every form of somatropin — check which one you have against the list below.
What the labels say
“After reconstitution of the lyophilized powder, the contents of the OMNITROPE vial must be used within 21 days.”
On the label for Omnitrope · DailyMed
“Discard unused portions after 21 days.”
On the label for Omnitrope · DailyMed
“Discard unused portions in the cartridge after 28 days.”
On the label for Omnitrope · DailyMed
“L Reconstituted cartridges of HUMATROPE are stable for up to 28 days when refrigerated at 36° to 46°F (2° to 8°C).”
On the label for HUMATROPE · DailyMed
“Discard the cartridge and any unused medication after 28 days.”
On the label for GENOTROPIN · DailyMed
How the label says to keep somatropin
Storage is the other half of the question: the stability behind any date assumes these conditions, and a medicine kept outside them ages faster than the calendar says.
- “Do not store directly adjacent to the refrigerator cooling element.”
- “Conditions and Expiration Before Use In-use (After 1 st injection) Storage requirement Storage Option 1 (Refrigeration) Storage Option 2 (Room temperature) 2ºC to 8ºC (36ºF to 46ºF) Until exp.”
- “After the first injection, store the vial in the original carton in a refrigerator at 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F) (see Table 11 ).”
- “Options OMNITROPE Product Formulation Storage Requirement Before Use In-use (after 1st injection) 5 mg/1.”
Frequently asked questions
Does somatropin expire?
Two different clocks apply and only one of them is the printed date. The date on a sealed pack is the manufacturer's guarantee for the unopened product. Once it is opened, mixed or diluted, the label imposes its own limit — as tight as 21 days on some somatropin products, and that is the number quoted on this page.
Can I still use somatropin after the date on the box?
This page cannot tell you that, and nor can any page. The FDA's own shelf-life programme found 88% of tested lots stayed within specification at least a year past expiry — and concluded in the same breath that lot-to-lot variation means this can only be confirmed by testing each lot. What you can check at home is the in-use limit above and whether the product has been stored as the label requires. Ask a pharmacist about a specific pack; they will also dispose of what you no longer need.
Why do different somatropin products have different limits?
Because they are different formulations. A suspension that gets mixed with water, a pen that gets carried at room temperature, and a sealed tablet do not behave alike, so each manufacturer's label sets its own limit and each is shown here with the product it belongs to. We never merge them into one number for the molecule.
More on somatropin
Quoted from FDA labels for reference, not medical advice, and not a suggestion to use anything past its limit. If you are unsure whether a pack is still good, a pharmacist can tell you and can dispose of it safely.