Skip to content
PeptidesEncyclopedia
Informational, not medical advice

This is an approved / prescription medicine. Do not use without a prescription and medical supervision.

EMA-approvedaka Increlex, IGF-1

Mecasermin — Complete Research Guide (2026)

Last updated 2026-06-30

TL;DR

Mecasermin (also known as Increlex) is a peptide catalogued under Growth Hormone (Recombinant IGF-1). It is described as: IGF-1 receptor. Documented context: Severe primary IGF-1 deficiency. Neutral reference entry; EU status: EU-approved prescription medicine.

What is Mecasermin?

Mecasermin (brand name Increlex) is recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (rhIGF-1). It is FDA-approved (2005) and EMA-approved for the long-term treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency (SPIGFD), or with GH gene deletion who have developed neutralizing antibodies to GH.

It replaces IGF-1 directly rather than stimulating its production, and is used when growth failure is due to defective GH action rather than GH deficiency.

Evidence comes from pivotal cohort trials, long-term studies, and registry (Increlex Growth Forum) data.

How does Mecasermin work?

Mecasermin is IGF-1 that binds the IGF-1 receptor to drive the anabolic and growth-promoting signaling normally downstream of growth hormone.

It bypasses the defective GH-to-IGF-1 step in growth hormone insensitivity, directly stimulating linear growth.

What does the research say about Mecasermin?

  • In children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency, mecasermin increases growth velocity compared with the untreated pretreatment period. [1]
  • Long-term treatment improves adult or near-adult height in patients with severe IGF-1 deficiency. [2]
  • Real-world effectiveness data confirm growth benefit, with hypoglycemia as the main adverse event to manage. [3]

Clinical research & studies

The references below are the primary sources cited throughout this guide. Each links directly to PubMed or the regulator. Where evidence is preclinical (animal or in-vitro), that is stated rather than implied.

  • [1] Long-term treatment with recombinant insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in children with severe IGF-I deficiency due to growth hormone insensitivity — Chernausek SD et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2007. (Long-term clinical trial)
  • [2] Adult and near-adult height in patients with severe insulin-like growth factor-I deficiency after long-term therapy with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I — Backeljauw PF et al., Hormone Research in Paediatrics 2013. (Long-term cohort)
  • [3] Effectiveness and safety of rhIGF1 therapy in patients with or without Laron syndrome — Bang P et al., European Journal of Endocrinology 2021. (Registry/cohort analysis)
  • [4] Pubertal Timing and Growth Dynamics in Children With Severe Primary IGF-1 Deficiency: Results From the European Increlex Growth Forum Database Registry — Bang P et al., Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022. (Registry study)
  • [5] Treatment of severe primary IGF-1 deficiency using rhIGF-1 preparation - first three years of Polish experience — Petriczko E et al., Endokrynologia Polska 2019. (Observational cohort)

Dosing context

This is not medical advice or a usage recommendation. Dosing figures are reported research context only, cited from the published literature.

In labeled use, mecasermin is given by subcutaneous injection twice daily, timed around food to reduce hypoglycemia risk, and titrated by a pediatric endocrinologist.

Any dosing references are context only and are not instructions; this is a prescription medicine with a serious hypoglycemia warning.

Side effects & safety profile

Hypoglycemia is the most important warning: because IGF-1 has insulin-like effects, mecasermin can cause low blood sugar, so each dose must be given shortly before or after a meal or snack, and it should not be given if the child cannot eat.

Additional labeled risks include intracranial hypertension (raised pressure in the brain, causing headache or vision changes) and lymphoid tissue hypertrophy such as tonsillar or adenoidal enlargement.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis, worsening of scoliosis, and injection-site reactions are also reported; it is prescription-only and requires specialist monitoring, including baseline ENT and fundoscopic assessment.

Stacking & combinations

Mecasermin is used as monotherapy for its approved indication and is not combined with growth hormone, since it is intended precisely for conditions where GH action is deficient.

Finding Mecasermin vendors

Finding Mecasermin vendors

This is an independent, neutral directory — we sell nothing and route no purchases. Use it to read regulatory context and (where available) genuine, moderated vendor information for your country.

Choose your country

We never list placeholder vendors. Pick your country to see neutral regulatory context.

Browse the directory

User reviews

No reviews yet

Reviews appear here once submitted and moderated. An aggregate rating is shown only after at least 5 genuine reviews — we never fabricate ratings.

Sign in to review

Frequently asked questions

Long-term treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency (SPIGFD), or with GH gene deletion and neutralizing antibodies to GH. It is FDA- and EMA-approved and prescription-only.

References

  1. [1] Long-term treatment with recombinant insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in children with severe IGF-I deficiency due to growth hormone insensitivity — Chernausek SD et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2007. PMID: 17192294. View sourceStudy: Long-term clinical trialrhIGF-1 significantly increased height velocity in children with severe IGF-I deficiency, with hypoglycemia and tonsillar hypertrophy among key adverse events.
  2. [2] Adult and near-adult height in patients with severe insulin-like growth factor-I deficiency after long-term therapy with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I — Backeljauw PF et al., Hormone Research in Paediatrics 2013. PMID: 23887143. View sourceStudy: Long-term cohortProlonged rhIGF-1 therapy improved adult or near-adult height in severe IGF-I deficiency, supporting sustained growth benefit.
  3. [3] Effectiveness and safety of rhIGF1 therapy in patients with or without Laron syndrome — Bang P et al., European Journal of Endocrinology 2021. PMID: 33434161. View sourceStudy: Registry/cohort analysisrhIGF-1 improved growth across patients with severe IGF-1 deficiency, with hypoglycemia the most frequently reported adverse event.
  4. [4] Pubertal Timing and Growth Dynamics in Children With Severe Primary IGF-1 Deficiency: Results From the European Increlex Growth Forum Database Registry — Bang P et al., Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022. PMID: 35250870. View sourceStudy: Registry studyRegistry data characterized growth response and pubertal dynamics during mecasermin treatment in severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.
  5. [5] Treatment of severe primary IGF-1 deficiency using rhIGF-1 preparation - first three years of Polish experience — Petriczko E et al., Endokrynologia Polska 2019. PMID: 30351442. View sourceStudy: Observational cohortReal-world use of mecasermin improved growth velocity in children with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency, consistent with trial data and safety monitoring needs.
This article is for educational and research purposes only. Peptides discussed here are not approved for human consumption by the FDA, EMA, or equivalent regulators outside of specific clinical contexts. Always consult a licensed medical professional before any therapeutic use.