Evidence strength for the context described on this page.
PEPTIDE ATLAS / MUSCLE & RECOVERY / MECASERMIN
FDA-approvedHigh for approved indication
Mecasermin
ALSO KNOWN ASIncrelex · recombinant IGF-1
Prescription IGF-1 for severe primary IGF-1 deficiency—not a bodybuilding peptide.
01CATEGORYMuscle & recovery
02REGULATORY STATUSFDA-approved
03COMMON ROUTESubcutaneous injection twice daily in the labeled population
04DOSE BASISFDA-approved label
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Read the profile in the order that protects the decision.
- 01Verify what it is
Confirm the exact molecule, route, regulatory lane and actual human evidence.
- 02Read limits before dose
Unsupported claims, contraindications and uncertainty come before any protocol.
- 03Build the monitoring plan
Define the target, baseline checks, reassessment point and stop rules with a qualified clinician.
RESEARCH PASSPORT
The five facts to know first.
REVIEWED
JULY 2026
Status is product-, formulation- and indication-specific.
Trial, label or reported-practice basis is always named.
Official labels, regulators, trials and indexed literature where available.
Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances may be prohibited.
Check Global DRO ↗OVERVIEW
What Mecasermin is.
Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 approved for growth failure in carefully defined pediatric patients with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency.
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Replaces deficient IGF-1 signaling to support linear growth and metabolic effects.
EFFECTS & EVIDENCE
What the evidence supports—and what it does not.
- Improves growth in the labeled pediatric deficiency population
- Safe muscle gain in healthy adults
- Anti-aging
- Athletic performance enhancement
- Use as an IGF-1 LR3 substitute
Evidence grade: High for approved indication. For an approved drug, “high” refers only to its labeled indication—not every off-label or wellness claim.
DOSAGE CONTEXT
Best available dosing range.
FDA-APPROVED LABELThe label uses weight-based subcutaneous dosing, generally starting at 0.04–0.08 mg/kg twice daily and increasing only under specialist supervision to a maximum of 0.12 mg/kg twice daily. It must be coordinated with food because of hypoglycemia risk.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection twice daily in the labeled population
- Duration
- Specialist-managed pediatric treatment
- Men & women
- Weight- and response-based, not routinely sex-based.
Clinician verification required. Always double-check the exact molecule or salt, concentration, route, volume, schedule, indication, patient-specific contraindications, interactions and applicable law with the prescribing clinician and dispensing pharmacy. A disclaimer does not make an unapproved product FDA-approved, and a reported-use range is not a prescription.
MONITORING
What should be tracked.
- Glucose and hypoglycemia
- Growth response
- Intracranial hypertension symptoms
- Tonsillar/adenoidal growth, scoliosis and neoplasia surveillance
SAFETY
Risks, red flags and reasons to avoid it.
- Severe hypoglycemia, including seizures
- Intracranial hypertension
- Tonsillar hypertrophy and sleep-disordered breathing
- Malignant neoplasia warning
- Closed growth plates
- Active or suspected malignancy
- Unsupervised adult performance use
- Confusing mecasermin with unapproved IGF-1 LR3
Stop and seek careGet urgent medical help for trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, chest pain, fainting, severe persistent abdominal pain, neurologic changes, severe hypoglycemia, uncontrolled vomiting or a prolonged painful erection.
CLINICIAN VISIT CHECKLIST
Six questions worth bringing with you.
Molecule or analog, salt, concentration, route, manufacturer or compounder, lot and beyond-use date.
Name the diagnosis or target, how it will be measured and the realistic time to reassess.
Ask how it compares with FDA-approved, lower-risk or better-studied alternatives.
Label, human trial, specialty guideline or clinic convention—and whether that route and formulation match.
Baseline checks, follow-up measures, interactions, pregnancy considerations and symptoms that mean stop.
Pharmacy license, prescription, identity/potency testing, sterility controls and who handles a product complaint.
Do not improvise reconstitution or convert “units” without the exact concentration. Mixing, storage and beyond-use instructions are product-specific; confirm them with the dispensing pharmacy.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the record yourself.
We prioritize official prescribing information, FDA regulatory material, registered trials and indexed biomedical literature. A source supports the specific statement beside it—not every claim made about the molecule.
PRODUCTS & TREATMENT ACCESS
Use a verified prescription pathway.
Specialty prescription FDA-approved product for a narrow pediatric indication.
The existence of approved IGF-1 therapy does not validate gray-market IGF-1 analogs or bodybuilding protocols.
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