ASSESSMENT OF LONG-ACTING SYNTHETIC CORTICOTROPHIN IN HYPERSENSITIVE ASTHMATICS AND NORMAL SUBJECTS

The synthetic polypeptide depot-tetracosactrin (Synacthen-Depot) was given to nine steroidtreated asthmatic patients hypersensitive to animal corticotrophin. Eight had a satisfactory increase in plasma and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS). The remaining patient had been shown previously to have adrenal suppression. None of the patients developed allergic reactions to depot-tetracosactrin, and seven have been receiving regular injections of the polypeptide twice weekly for the past eight months. In 13 normal subjects intramuscular injections of 1 mg. and 0.5 mg. of depot-tetracosactrin and 40 units of corticotrophin-gel were equally potent in raising the plasma 17-OHCS, but depot-tetracosactrin had a significandy longer action than corticotrophin-gel. © 1968, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.