Leuprolide implants

There are no comparative trials of LHRH agonists, so the choice is usually based on cost (Table 65-1) and on patient and physician preference. Leuprolide acetate is administered daily. Leuprolide depot and goserelin acetate implant can be administered monthly, or every 12 or 16 weeks. 

Polymeric membrane-based implantable drug delivery systems have been developed to deliver growth hormone, hormonal contraception, and leuprolide for the treatment of prostate cancer. Implanted sialic tubes loaded with lev-onorgestrel Norplant system) is used outside the United States to provide five years of sufficient sustained release of the... 

Parenteral 50 mg subcutaneous implant 0.2, 0.5, 1 mg/mL for injection Leuprolide (generic, Eligard, Lupron, others)... 

Ravivarapu HB, Dunn RL. Parameters affecting the efficacy of a sustained release polymeric implant of leuprolide. Int J Pharm 2000 194 181-191. 

Leuprolide, used for the palliative treatment of prostate cancer, was formulated at 370 mg/ml in DMSO within an osmotically-driven implantable pump lasting 1 year, where the choice of DMSO provided 2 year room temperature shelf life, plus 1 year of implant life at 37°C (Stevenson et al., 1999 Wright et al., 2001). 

Polymeric micropsheres, particularly those prepared from the biodegradable polylactide/ polyglycolide polymers, have been widely investigated as a means to achieve sustained parenteral drug delivery. The advantage of formulating the polymeric matrix as microspheres is the ability to administer them via a conventional needle and syringe as a suspension formulation, rather than as an implant (see below). Lupron depot formulations are available which can provide therapeutic blood levels of leuprolide acetate for up to four months. These products are presented as lyophilized polylactic acid microspheres which are reconstituted to form a suspension prior to administration. 

Fowler JE, Flanagan M, Gleason DM, Klim-berg IW, Gottesman JE, Sharifi R Evaluation of an implant that delivers leuprolide for one year for the palliative treatment of prostate cancer, Urology 2000, 55, 639-642. 

The male client diagnosed with prostate cancer is receiving leuprolide (Lupron LA), a GnRH agonist, implant. Which procedure is the correct method of administration ... 

Implantable delivery systems offer a number of advantages over more traditional delivery routes, particularly for biological macromolecules (including peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides). Some specific delivery mechanisms to date include polymer depots (e.g., Gliadel Wafer, prolifeprosan 20 with carmustine implant) and osmotic pumps (e.g., Viadur leuprolide acetate implant). 

Ravivarapu, H.B., Moyer, K.L., and Dunn, R.L. (2000) Sustained suppression of pituitary-gonadal axis with an injectable, in situ forming implant of leuprolide acetate. J. Pharm. Sci., 89, 732-741. 

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