Is Corticotropin safe?
Steroid-type effects well documented
Corticotropin raises cortisol, so its side effects match those of high-dose steroids. They include fluid retention, high blood pressure, higher blood sugar, mood and behaviour changes, and weight gain. They also include weaker immunity with more infections, stomach ulcers and bone loss. Stopping the drug can leave the adrenal glands suppressed. In infants, the main concerns are irritability, infection and high blood pressure. The authors of the 1996 trial call the side effects of high-dose ACTH severe and dose-dependent. The label advises tapering instead of stopping at once. It also lists live vaccines as off limits during treatment. 31
The label also warns of allergic reactions, since the product is an extract of pig protein. Long-term data comparing it with lab-made corticosteroids in adults are not available. 3
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Citations
- Baram 1996, Pediatrics: high-dose corticotropin versus prednisone for infantile spasms, randomized blinded study pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Acthar Gel prescribing information (manufacturer) acthar.com
- FDA label, 2021: Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) accessdata.fda.gov
- Drugs@FDA: Acthar Gel (NDA 008372) approval record accessdata.fda.gov
Reference information only, not medical advice. Drawn from the Corticotropin article, fact-checked against the cited sources. No dosing anywhere on this site.