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Endocrinology

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Endocrinology is a key targeted disease area within the Ipsen portfolio. Endocrinology describes the control of cellular function by hormones, which are chemicals produced in specialized glands, targeting specific tissues in the body. The aim is to modulate homeostasis through hormone depletion or replacement-based therapies.

Ipsen is uniquely placed to develop a position of global leader in endocrinology, with internationally recognised specialized clinicians and scientists working within the company. There is particular expertise in engineering of peptides, proteins and steroids, in convergence with advanced delivery systems, to yield products with therapeutic properties that facilitate patient compliance and convenience.

TARGETED DISEASES

ACROMEGALY

In children, hypersecretion of growth hormone may cause gigantism, whereas in adults, as the cartilages have ossified, an excessive secretion of GH causes acromegaly.

In acromegaly, GH hypersecretion is most often caused by a pituitary adenoma, i.e. a benign tumoral proliferation of pituitary cells, particularly somatotropic cells secreting growth hormone.

Acromegaly progresses very slowly, which is why it is usually diagnosed very late. In the absence of any treatment, symptoms worsen and life expectancy is reduced as a result of cardiovascular complications.

SHORT STATURE

Short stature children are children whose size is significantly below what it should be for their category of age when compared to peers of the same generation. This pathology can be the consequence of an hormonal deficiency (eg. Thyroid Hormone, Growth Hormone, Insulin Growth Factor 1 - IGF1 -) or the consequence of a lack of efficiency of normal hormones due to a broader syndrome (eg. Turner Syndrome, children born small for their gestational age,...), due to genetic mutations of the growth pathway (eg. Severe Primary IGF1 Deficiency) or in some cases for unknown reasons (Idiopathic Short Stature).