Follitropin Alfa (Systemic)
Brand Names : Gonal-F
Category- Gonadotropin
- infertility
therapy agent
DescriptionFollitropin alfa (fol-li-TROE-pin
AL-fa) is a hormone identical to follicle-stimulating hormone
(FSH) produced by the pituitary gland. FSH helps to develop eggs in the ovaries.
Follitropin alfa is used as a fertility medicine to develop eggs in women
who have not been able to become pregnant because of problems in ovulation.
Also, many women wanting to become pregnant will use this medicine while enrolled
in a fertility program (assisted reproductive technology [ART]) that uses
procedures such as in vitro
fertilization (IVF)
or embryo transfer (ET). Follitropin alfa may be used with other medicines
for these purposes.
Follitropin alfa is also used as a fertility medicine to help men with
low sperm counts produce more sperms. Treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin
should come before treatment with follitropin alfa. This pretreatment elevates
the amount of testosterone to the correct level. Treatment with human chorionic
gonadotropin should continue as long as follitropin alfa is being used.
Some patients may be treated with another hormone called gonadotropin-releasing
hormone agonist (GnRHa) before starting treatment with follitropin alfa. GnRHa
reduces the amount of FSH released from the pituitary gland. This is done
so that the doctor can replace their FSH with follitropin alfa in the proper
amounts each day to achieve fertility.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the
following dosage form(s):
Parenteral
-
For injection (U.S.)
Brand NamesSome commonly used brand names are:
In the U.S. -
† Not commercially available in Canada.
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