Histrelin
GnRH agonist
Also Supprelin LA, Supprelin, Vantas, Histrelin acetate, Histrelin implant
- Evidence
- BSome human evidence
- FDA status
- FDA approvedas of 2026-10-26
- Route
- Implant
- Studies cited
- 1 human0 animal or cell
It is a yearly implant that pauses puberty in children whose puberty starts far too early. In a 36-child study it held back puberty hormones in every child for a year.
Sold for
Histrelin is a once-a-year implant that pauses early puberty in children, and is sometimes discussed as a hormone blocker in other settings.
Studies say
A 36-child open-label trial showed the implant suppressed puberty hormones in every child for a year, which supports the approval, though no randomised comparison against monthly injections exists.
Why grade B. Supprelin LA was approved on the basis of open-label single-arm trials using hormone suppression as the endpoint; the cited study followed 36 children with central precocious puberty for 12 months and found luteinising hormone suppressed in all of them. Suppression of puberty is well established for the GnRH agonist class, but the histrelin-specific evidence is uncontrolled and uses surrogate endpoints, which is B. 12
FDA. Histrelin is FDA-approved as Supprelin LA, a 12-month subcutaneous implant for central precocious puberty in children, approved in 2007. The prostate cancer implant Vantas, approved in 2004, was discontinued by its manufacturer in 2021, so Supprelin LA is the only histrelin product on the US market. 23
Written from 3 cited sources. Fact-checked 2026-10-27: 13 claims checked, 0 corrected. Last refreshed 2026-10-27. Not physician reviewed.
What this means for you
- What people take it for
- Pausing puberty that starts too early
- Can a US doctor prescribe it?
- Yes, FDA approved for puberty that starts too early in children.
- Properly tested in people?
- Partly: some human trials, with gaps. The key study had 36 children and no comparison group.
Evidence checklist
- Randomised controlled trial Single-arm open-label trialsno
- Human study over 100 people Cited study followed 36 childrenno
- More than one research group Article does not sayno information
- Clinical outcomes, not surrogate markers Surrogate: hormone suppressionno
- Human safety data beyond case reports Label data; implant-site problemsyes
Drawn from the cited studies below. A dash means the sources give no information.
What it is
Histrelin is a lab-made version of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH is the signal from the brain's hypothalamus that drives puberty and sex hormone production. The product is a small flexible tube. A doctor implants it under the skin of the upper arm. It releases histrelin steadily for a year. Then the doctor removes it and puts in a new one. 2
Two versions were sold in the US. Vantas was approved in 2004 for advanced prostate cancer. It released the drug at a lower rate. Supprelin LA was approved in 2007. It gives more drug for central precocious puberty. In this condition, a child's pituitary switches on puberty years early. Endo discontinued Vantas in 2021 after manufacturing problems it could not fix. Prostate cancer patients had to switch to other GnRH drugs. 23
How it works
Pulses of GnRH tell the pituitary to release luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Histrelin is an agonist, and it acts nonstop. At first it stimulates the pituitary. Then the pituitary stops responding. Within a few weeks, luteinising hormone output falls. The ovaries or testes stop making oestrogen or testosterone. In a child with precocious puberty, this halts breast or genital development. It also slows the fast bone maturation that would otherwise cut final adult height. Puberty resumes when the implant comes out. 12
What human research shows
Eugster and colleagues implanted histrelin in 36 children with central precocious puberty. Sixteen of them had earlier been on monthly GnRH agonist injections. A stimulation test at 12 months showed luteinising hormone was suppressed in all children. Oestradiol and testosterone fell to prepuberty levels. Bone age advanced more slowly. Children who switched from injections stayed suppressed with no gap. 1
Later follow-up in the extension phase and after the drug reached the market showed something more. In many children, one implant keeps hormones suppressed past the labelled 12 months. Some clinicians therefore leave it in longer. The label still specifies yearly replacement. 2
| Study | Model | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Eugster 2007, 12-month implant study | Humans, n=36 children with central precocious puberty, open-label single-arm | Luteinising hormone was suppressed in all children at 12 months and sex steroids fell to prepubertal levels, including in children switched from monthly injections. 1 |
| Supprelin LA prescribing information | FDA label | Approved as a 12-month subcutaneous implant for central precocious puberty in children aged 2 and older. 2 |
Safety
The most common problems are at the implant site. They include bruising, pain and swelling. Sometimes the implant breaks during removal, and that can need a second cut. In the first weeks, sex hormones briefly rise. This can cause a short episode of vaginal bleeding in girls. The label notes that seizures have been reported with this drug class, mostly in children with other risk factors. It also says to consider bone density with long use. The drug leaves the body when the implant comes out, so the effects are reversible. 2
Questions for your clinician
- Was the implant compared with monthly injections in any study?
- How will bone health be watched over the treatment?
- What happens to puberty once the implant is removed?
Questions people ask
Is histrelin FDA-approved?
Yes. Supprelin LA has been approved since 2007 for central precocious puberty. Vantas was the prostate cancer version, approved in 2004. It was discontinued in 2021 and is no longer available. 23
How long does the implant last?
The label says 12 months. Then the doctor removes the implant and places a new one. Follow-up data show suppression often lasts longer. But yearly replacement is the approved schedule. 21
Why was Vantas discontinued?
Endo stopped making it in 2021 after batch failures it could not correct. Patients with prostate cancer moved to other GnRH agonists or antagonists. Some paid more, which drew press attention. 3
Citations
- Eugster 2007, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism: histrelin subdermal implant in children with central precocious puberty, 12-month results doi.org
- Endo: Supprelin LA (histrelin acetate) prescribing information endodocuments.com
- MDedge/KHN: patients lose cheaper option as Vantas is discontinued mdedge.com