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serostim

Pharmaranks rates Serostim 3.5/5 for recall safety — an independent score from its FDA recall history and its manufacturer's record. Serostim (Somatropin) is a recombinant human growth hormone used to treat Cachexia, Dwarfism, Heart Failure, Noonan Syndrome.

Somatropin · by Emd Serono

70/100Limited · 1 source

Based on 1 source · Recall-safety score from FDA recall history — this product's own recalls and its manufacturer's record. Not an efficacy or quality rating. methodology →

Rated against independent regulatory sources·Last updated October 11, 2026·How we rate
Verified againstopenFDANIH DailyMedRxClass

Every strength approved under this FDA application (2)

  • Serostim (this page)Somatropin 4MG/VIAL · Somatropin 5MG/VIAL · Somatropin 6MG/VIAL · Somatropin 8.8MG/VIAL
  • Serostim LqSomatropin 6MG/0.5ML (6MG/0.5ML)

Key facts

Active ingredient
Somatropin
Form
Kit
Strength
Somatropin 4MG/VIAL · Somatropin 5MG/VIAL · Somatropin 6MG/VIAL · Somatropin 8.8MG/VIAL
Type
Prescription (Rx)
Brand or generic
Brand-name
Manufacturer
Emd Serono
Half-life
about 3 hours (after subcutaneous injection) (how long it stays in your system)
FDA application
BLA020604

Storing Serostim, and how long it keeps

Quoted from this product’s own FDA label. Storage belongs to the product and its device, not to the drug in general — a pen and a tablet of the same medicine are kept completely differently.

  • “Before reconstitution: Vials of SEROSTIM and diluent should be stored at room temperature, (15°-30°C/59°-86°F).”

How long does Somatropin stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of somatropin is about 3 hours (after subcutaneous injection) — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. Somatropin is recombinant human growth hormone, given by subcutaneous injection. Its true elimination half-life is very short — the label reports a mean terminal half-life of only 0.4 hours (about 24 minutes) after intravenous dosing. After the usual subcutaneous injection the apparent half-life is longer, about 3.0 hours in growth-hormone-deficient adults, because slow absorption from the injection site (not elimination) becomes rate-limiting. So the drug itself clears quickly, but a subcutaneous dose is released over several hours. This half-life is not a drug-test detection window: growth hormone use is detected by anti-doping tests through downstream biomarkers (e.g., IGF-1) and isoform ratios that stay altered for days, far longer than the hormone's own half-life. Genotropin was not studied in patients with renal or hepatic impairment.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: GENOTROPIN (somatropin) FDA label — DailyMed.

Drug class

How this class works, per Physiology, Growth Hormone - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.

May treat (source: NIH RxClass)

See how Serostim ranks — best-rated recombinant human growth hormone for:

Dosage forms

Kit

The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.

Ways to save

Ask for the generic

Same active ingredient, far cheaper. Is there a generic? →

Request a 90-day supply

Bulk fills usually lower the per-dose price vs monthly refills.

Use copay cards

Manufacturer copay cards & patient-assistance programs — especially for brand drugs.

Compare alternatives

A same-class option may cost less. See alternatives →

Frequently asked questions

What does Serostim treat?
Serostim (Somatropin) may be used to treat cachexia, dwarfism, heart failure, noonan syndrome, prader-willi syndrome, turner syndrome, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.
How does Serostim work?
Serostim is a recombinant human growth hormone. Recombinant human growth hormone is a lab-made copy of the body's own growth hormone. It signals the liver and other tissues to make insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which drives cells to take up protein and divide, promoting bone, muscle, and tissue growth.
How is Serostim rated?
pharmaranks gives Serostim a composite score of 3.5 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.
Is there a coupon or discount for Serostim?
pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Serostim. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
Who makes Serostim?
Serostim is marketed by Emd Serono. You can see Emd Serono's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
Is Serostim a brand-name or generic drug?
Serostim is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Somatropin.
Is Serostim available over the counter?
No. Serostim is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
What forms does Serostim come in?
Serostim is currently marketed as kit, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
What class of drug is Serostim?
Serostim is classified as recombinant human growth hormone, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.
Is Serostim FDA-registered?
Serostim is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number BLA020604. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
Has Serostim been recalled by the FDA?
Serostim has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.
Is Serostim safe?
There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Serostim a recall-safety score of 70/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.

Information is sourced from public FDA regulatory data. Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.

What people report to the FDA about SOMATROPIN

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 6,652 reports naming SOMATROPIN — the active ingredient in Serostim, and the FDA flagged 74% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

  • device leakage319 reports
  • headache290 reports
  • injection site pain235 reports
  • drug dose omission by device215 reports
  • fatigue187 reports
  • pyrexia145 reports
  • sleep apnoea syndrome142 reports
  • device mechanical issue140 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean SOMATROPIN caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label.

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved September 26, 2026.

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serostim

70/100