leuprorelin acetate at a glance
Medicine class
Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist
Main effect
Reduces testosterone or ovarian hormone production after a brief initial rise
Administration
Given by a trained healthcare professional as a prolonged-release injection or implant
Contraception
Hormone suppression does not provide reliable contraception
What is leuprorelin acetate used for?
Licensed uses differ between UK products, so the product must match the condition and patient group.
Metastatic or locally advanced prostate cancer, and hormone suppression around radiotherapy or surgery for selected higher-risk disease.
With Prostap SR: endometriosis, preparation of the womb lining before intrauterine surgery, and preoperative management of uterine fibroids.
With Prostap SR: selected hormone-responsive breast cancers in pre- or perimenopausal women.
With Prostap SR: preservation of ovarian function during chemotherapy that may cause premature ovarian insufficiency; this does not replace established fertility-preservation methods.
With Prostap SR: central precocious puberty in girls under 9 years and boys under 10 years.
How does leuprorelin acetate work?
Leuprorelin initially stimulates pituitary GnRH receptors, briefly raising gonadotrophin and sex-hormone levels. Continued exposure desensitises these receptors, reducing testosterone production by the testes or oestrogen production by the ovaries. This suppression is generally reversible after treatment stops.
leuprorelin acetate preparations and strengths
Implant
Route: Implant
Strengths: 11.25 mg
How to take leuprorelin acetate
Leuprorelin depot products should be prepared and administered only by healthcare professionals familiar with the specific presentation.
Prostap SR is mixed before use and injected under the skin or into a muscle.
Staladex is a solid implant injected under the abdominal skin.
Preparation instructions differ between products and must be followed exactly to avoid handling errors and inadequate treatment.
Food does not affect administration because leuprorelin is not taken by mouth.
leuprorelin acetate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Hot flushes and increased sweating
- Tiredness, weight changes or reduced appetite
- Injection-site pain, redness, swelling or a lump
- Headache, nausea, sleep disturbance or mood changes
- Reduced sex drive; erectile difficulties or testicular shrinkage in men
- Vaginal dryness or other low-oestrogen symptoms in women
- Muscle weakness, bone pain or joint pain
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergic reaction
- Blistering, peeling or widespread severe skin reaction
- New urinary obstruction, marked bone pain, leg weakness or altered sensation during an initial tumour flare
- Severe depression or thoughts of self-harm
- Seizure
- Severe or recurrent headache with visual disturbance or tinnitus
- Possible blood-clot symptoms, such as sudden breathlessness or chest pain
leuprorelin acetate in pregnancy
Prostap SR must not be used during pregnancy, and pregnancy should be excluded before treatment. It can stop periods and ovulation but is not reliable contraception. Non-hormonal contraception is advised until periods return after treatment. Contact the prescriber promptly if pregnancy is suspected.
leuprorelin acetate while breastfeeding
Prostap SR is contraindicated while breastfeeding. Staladex is licensed only for adult men and is not indicated for breastfeeding patients.
leuprorelin acetate interactions
Formal interaction studies are limited. In men receiving androgen-deprivation treatment, the main listed concern is an additive risk of QT prolongation and serious abnormal heart rhythm.
Class IA or III antiarrhythmics, including quinidine, disopyramide, amiodarone and sotalol
Combined use may increase QT prolongation and torsade de pointes risk.
Methadone
May add to QT prolongation and abnormal heart-rhythm risk.
Common questions about leuprorelin acetate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is leuprorelin acetate chemotherapy?
No. It is hormonal treatment that suppresses sex-hormone production; it does not directly kill rapidly dividing cells like conventional chemotherapy.
Why can symptoms briefly worsen?
The initial temporary testosterone rise, called tumour flare, may worsen bone pain, urinary obstruction or neurological symptoms.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.