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histrelin

Sold as Supprelin. Class: Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues. First FDA approval 12/24/1991: 35 years on the US market.

This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.

C

Score breakdown (70/100)

Safety ×35%
A
Evidence ×25%
F
Regulatory ×15%
B
Money & lawsuits ×15%
A
Options ×10%
C

Safety: 100

Evidence: 0

Regulatory history: 87

Money & lawsuits: 100

Options: 70

What the FDA label says

Approved uses

(histrelin acetate) subcutaneous implant is indicated for the treatment of children with central precocious puberty (CPP). Children with CPP (neurogenic or idiopathic) have an early onset of secondary sexual characteristics (earlier than 8 years of age in females and 9 years of age in males). They also show a significantly advanced bone age that can result in diminished adult height attainment. Prior to initiation of treatment a clinical diagnosis of CPP should be confirmed by measurement of blood concentrations of total sex steroids, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) following stimulation with a GnRH analog, and assessment of bone age versus chronological age. Baseline evaluations should include height and weight measurements, diagnostic imaging of the brain (to rule out intracranial tumor), pelvic/testicular/adrenal ultrasound (to rule out steroid secreting tumors), human chorionic gonadotropin levels (to rule out a chorionic gonadotropin secreting tumor), and adrenal steroids to exclude congenital adrenal hyperplasia. SUPPRELIN LA is a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist indicated for the treatment of children with central precocious puber...

Contraindications

is contraindicated in: Patients who are hypersensitive to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or GnRH agonist analogs Pregnancy [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] . History of hypersensitivity to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or GnRH analogs ( 4 ). Pregnancy ( 4 ).

Warnings and precautions

Initial Agnostic Action: Initial transient increases of estradiol and/or testosterone may cause a temporary worsening of symptoms ( 5.1 ). Implant Breakage: Have been observed during implant removal. Monitor luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone or testosterone for suppression of CPP ( 5.2 , 5.6 ) Psychiatric Events: Have been reported in patients taking GnRH agonists. Events include emotional lability, such as crying, irritability, impatience, anger, and aggression. Monitor for development or worsening of psychiatric symptoms. ( 5.3 ) Convulsions: Have been observed in patients receiving GnRH agonists with or without a history of seizures, epilepsy, cerebrovascular disorders, central nervous system anomalies or tumors, and in patients on concomitant medications that have been associated with convulsions. ( 5.4 ) Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions: Have been reported in patients receiving GnRH agonists. Interrupt SUPPRELIN LA if signs or symptoms of severe cutaneous adverse reactions develop. Permanently discontinue SUPPRELIN LA if a severe cutaneous adverse reaction is confirmed. ( 5.5 ) Pseudotumor Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension): Have been reported in ...

Adverse reactions (label)

The following serious adverse reactions are described here and elsewhere in the label: Initial Agonist Action [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Implant Breakage [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Psychiatric Events [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Convulsions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Pseudotumor Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] The most common adverse reaction is implant site reaction (51.1%), including complications related to the insertion or removal of the implant ( 6 ). Adverse events related to suppression of endogenous sex steroid secretion may occur ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Endo at 1-800-462-3636 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Overall Adverse Reaction Profile The most common adverse reactions with SUPPRELIN LA involved the implant site. Local reactions after implant insertion include bruising, pain, soreness, erythema and swelling. During the early phase of therapy, gonadotropins and sex steroids rise above baseline because of the natural stimulatory effect of the drug...

Recent major label changes

Warnings and Precautions, Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions ( 5.5 ) 09/2025

Source: FDA SPL label for SUPPRELIN LA (Endo USA, Inc.), effective 20250925. Full label on DailyMed.

Side-effect reports sent to the FDA

These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.

672reports that mention this drug
672of those blame this drug, not another one the person was taking
28%of reports describe a serious outcome, such as a hospital stay (average for all drugs: 57%)
4.2%of reports include a death, from any cause (average for all drugs: 9.1%)

Problems reported most often

Drug Ineffective · 100Incorrect Product Administration Duration · 68Incorrect Drug Administration Duration · 64Procedural Complication · 53Device Breakage · 51Rash · 42Off Label Use · 41Headache · 30Implant Site Rash · 25Weight Increased · 23Device Expulsion · 22Rash Pruritic · 21Device Dislocation · 19Death · 18Implant Site Infection · 17

Reports per year

20192020202120222023202420252026
5147324630462812

Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.

Recalls and regulatory record

0recall actions on file
3 / 0brand / generic applications
5label changes since 2021
NoREMS program

Evidence base

0randomized trials (PubMed)
0systematic reviews
15registered trials
29%of completed trials posted results
20%terminated or withdrawn
47%industry-funded

Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Money and lawsuits

In 2024, drug companies reported $28,349 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 250 transactions (Supprelin $28,349).

No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.

Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.

Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.

Who takes it and what it costs

Not in the Medicare Part D spending file (typically hospital-administered or very new drugs).

Same-class alternatives

2 drugs in the same class grade a letter or more higher than histrelin on this site. Worth asking whether one of them would do the same job for you.

buserelingoserelin

Same ATC pharmacological class, graded ones first, best grade at the top. Being in the same class does not make them interchangeable for your condition; it makes them worth asking about.

Questions to ask your prescriber

  1. The most-reported problems in FDA's adverse event data are incorrect product administration duration, incorrect drug administration duration, procedural complication. How would we recognize and handle those?
  2. Why this one over buserelin, goserelin, leuprolide? What would make you pick one of those instead?
  3. There is no generic. Is there an older generic in the same class that works as well for my situation?
  4. What result are we expecting, by when, and what is the plan if it does not happen?
  5. If 100 people like me took this drug, how many would actually get better because of it, and how many would be harmed by it? (Doctors call these the number needed to treat and the number needed to harm.)