Follitropin

General information

The first gonadotropins available for clinical use were extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women. Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) is in limited supply and contains other proteins, which may be allergenic, as well as luteinizing hormone. Purified preparations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH; urofollitropin and highly purified urofollitropin) are also extracted from human urine. Recombinant FSH (follitropin-alfa) prepared from a Chinese hamster ovarian cell line is likely to replace other gonadotropins because of its purity and ease of patient self-administration.

Follitropin treatment for infertility has been reviewed in detail [ , ]. Multiple pregnancy occurs in 20% of patients, 80% being twin pregnancies. There is no documented increase in congenital abnormalities in children conceived after ovulation induction with follitropin.