Histrelin acetate implant
Pronunciation: pronunciation varies by local usage.
- Generic name
- histrelin acetate
- Brand names
- SUPPRELIN LA, VANTAS
- Drug class
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist
- Form
- 50 mg histrelin acetate subcutaneous implant
- Route
- Subcutaneous implant
- Legal status
- Prescription implanted medicine managed by a specialist team in the United States
Supply Rules Vary
Trade names by country: United States · United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · New Zealand
Australia: Unresolved (1) (2) · Full directory
What histrelin acetate is and how it works
Histrelin acetate implant is a prescription GnRH-agonist medicine placed under the skin and managed by trained healthcare professionals. In the United States, SUPPRELIN LA is indicated for children with central precocious puberty (CPP), while VANTAS is indicated for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. (1) (2)
These products serve different populations and are not a general puberty, fertility, hormone, or cancer treatment option. A specialist team determines diagnosis, suitability, monitoring, and all implant procedures; this page does not provide a self-selection, dosing, insertion, removal, replacement, or treatment-choice plan.
Mechanism of action: how histrelin acetate works
Histrelin acetate is a GnRH agonist. The supplied sources describe initial transient increases in estradiol and/or testosterone with SUPPRELIN LA and a transient testosterone increase during the first treatment week with VANTAS. (1) (2)
What histrelin acetate is used for
Central precocious puberty in the United States
SUPPRELIN LA is indicated in the United States for children with CPP. Diagnosis, ongoing suitability, and monitoring require specialist assessment. Use in children below 2 years is not recommended. (1)
Advanced prostate cancer in the United States
VANTAS is indicated in the United States for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Cancer-treatment planning and monitoring are clinician-managed. (2)
Before taking histrelin acetate
Do not take / not appropriate for
- SUPPRELIN LA is contraindicated in people with a history of hypersensitivity to GnRH or GnRH-agonist analogues and during pregnancy. (US SUPPRELIN LA) (1)
- VANTAS is contraindicated in people with known hypersensitivity to GnRH or GnRH-agonist analogues. (US VANTAS) (2)
Tell your clinician about
- Any previous allergy or hypersensitivity reaction to GnRH or GnRH-agonist analogues.
- Pregnancy or a possibility of pregnancy, because SUPPRELIN LA is contraindicated during pregnancy and VANTAS carries an embryo-fetal toxicity warning.
- Any history of seizures or neurological risk factors, and any new or worsening psychiatric symptoms.
- For VANTAS, symptoms or risks related to spinal-cord compression or urinary-tract obstruction, as these require close clinical monitoring.
- For VANTAS, diabetes or hyperglycaemia risk, cardiovascular disease risk, and any factors relevant to possible QT/QTc prolongation with androgen deprivation.
How to take histrelin acetate
- Histrelin acetate implant is placed under the skin and later removed by trained healthcare professionals.
- Do not attempt implant insertion, removal, replacement, dose selection, or timing decisions yourself.
- The specialty team selects the exact US product, procedure plan, and monitoring according to the approved population and indication.
- SUPPRELIN LA and VANTAS must not be substituted for one another.
Procedures and treatment changes
Tell the treating team before surgery, procedures, or any medicine change. Do not alter treatment without the responsible clinician. (1) (2)
Missed dose
This implanted medicine requires specialist management. If there is any concern about an implant appointment, follow-up, or treatment timing, contact the treating specialty team; do not make an implant or treatment change independently.
Overdose
The supplied sources do not provide a patient-facing overdose plan. Concerns about a possible medicine or implant error require urgent assessment by the treating specialty team or emergency services as appropriate. (1) (2)
Side effects
Effects and risks differ between the pediatric CPP product, SUPPRELIN LA, and the advanced-prostate-cancer product, VANTAS. Implant-site reactions are reported with both products.
Implant-site reaction
What to notice: Implant-site reactions have been reported. With SUPPRELIN LA, report implant-site bleeding, redness, or severe pain to the treating team.
What to do: Contact the treating team for assessment of severe implant-site symptoms. (1) (2)
Effects related to sex-steroid suppression
What to notice: SUPPRELIN LA can cause effects related to sex-steroid suppression.
What to do: Discuss concerning or persistent effects with the treating specialty team rather than changing treatment independently. (1)
Hot flashes, fatigue, or testicular atrophy
What to notice: These were among the most commonly reported adverse reactions, occurring in more than 5% of men receiving VANTAS.
What to do: Discuss troublesome symptoms with the cancer-care team. (2)
New or worsening psychiatric symptoms
What to notice: Psychiatric events, including emotional lability, have been reported with GnRH agonists.
What to do: Contact the treating clinician promptly for assessment. (1)
Possible idiopathic intracranial hypertension in children
What to notice: Severe or persistent headache, blurred vision, or other concerning neurological symptoms; clinicians monitor for headache, papilledema, and blurred vision.
What to do: Seek urgent medical assessment. (1)
Worsening tumour symptoms with VANTAS
What to notice: A temporary testosterone increase during the first treatment week can worsen tumour symptoms. Spinal-cord compression or urinary-tract obstruction can have serious consequences, including paralysis or renal impairment.
What to do: Seek urgent clinical assessment for rapidly worsening cancer symptoms or concerning neurological or urinary symptoms. (2)
Serious warnings
Severe allergic reaction — emergency
Symptoms: Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction are not detailed in the supplied sources; hypersensitivity to GnRH or GnRH-agonist analogues is a contraindication for the applicable US product.
Action: Seek emergency medical help for a suspected severe allergic reaction and inform the treating team. (1) (2)
Severe cutaneous adverse reaction — emergency
Symptoms: Severe skin reactions, including Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, have been reported.
Action: Seek emergency medical assessment for a suspected serious skin reaction. (1) (2)
Convulsion or seizure — emergency
Symptoms: Convulsions have occurred in people receiving GnRH agonists, with or without prior seizure or neurological risk factors.
Action: Seek emergency medical help for a new seizure or convulsion. (1)
Serious implant or cancer-related concern — urgent
Symptoms: Severe implant-site symptoms, inability to locate or remove an implant, or rapidly worsening tumour symptoms require clinical assessment. With VANTAS, spinal-cord compression or urinary-tract obstruction can lead to paralysis or renal impairment.
Action: Contact the treating specialty team urgently or seek emergency care when symptoms are severe or rapidly worsening. (1) (2)
Interactions
| Medicine or test | Effect | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Other medicines and treatments | The supplied sources do not establish a patient-facing interaction list for histrelin acetate implant. VANTAS identifies possible QT/QTc prolongation with androgen deprivation as a clinician assessment issue. | Give the treating specialist and pharmacist a complete list of medicines and treatments for review; do not make treatment changes independently. (2) |
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney/liver function, age
Children with central precocious puberty
SUPPRELIN LA is the US product indicated for children with CPP. Use in children below 2 years is not recommended. CPP diagnosis and ongoing monitoring require specialist assessment. (1)
People with advanced prostate cancer
VANTAS is the separate US product indicated for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Risks including early worsening of tumour symptoms, metabolic and cardiovascular concerns, and possible QT/QTc prolongation require clinician assessment and monitoring. (2)
Pregnancy
SUPPRELIN LA is contraindicated during pregnancy. VANTAS includes an embryo-fetal toxicity safety warning. Discuss pregnancy-related concerns with the responsible clinician. (1) (2)
Breastfeeding
Neither US histrelin implant product has human breastfeeding data. For SUPPRELIN LA, the label states there are no data on the presence of the drug in human or animal milk, on the effects on the breastfed infant, or on the effects on milk production, adds that absorption of the peptide histrelin by a breastfed infant is not expected, and advises weighing the developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding against the mother's clinical need for the drug. For VANTAS, the label states that safety and efficacy have not been established in females and that there are likewise no data on its presence in human or animal milk, on the breastfed child, or on milk production, and applies the same benefit-versus-need weighing because many drugs are excreted in human milk. With no human data for either product, the decision belongs to the responsible clinician. (1) (2)
Monitoring
Before starting
- Confirm the exact US product, approved indication, and population; SUPPRELIN LA and VANTAS are not interchangeable.
- Assess history of hypersensitivity to GnRH or GnRH-agonist analogues and pregnancy status where relevant to the applicable product.
- For CPP, ensure specialist assessment of diagnosis and suitability.
- For VANTAS, assess risks related to spinal-cord compression, urinary-tract obstruction, hyperglycaemia or diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and possible QT/QTc prolongation with androgen deprivation.
During treatment
- Monitor for initial transient hormone increases that can temporarily worsen symptoms.
- Monitor for new or worsening psychiatric symptoms and for convulsions or other concerning neurological symptoms.
- For children receiving SUPPRELIN LA, monitor for headache, papilledema, and blurred vision because idiopathic intracranial hypertension/pseudotumor cerebri has been reported.
- Assess implant-site symptoms and clinician-managed implant concerns, including breakage during removal with SUPPRELIN LA and inability to locate or remove an implant reported with VANTAS.
- For VANTAS, closely monitor people at risk of spinal-cord compression or urinary-tract obstruction.
Storage
Storage, handling, insertion, and disposal are clinician- and pharmacy-controlled for this implanted prescription product. The supplied sources do not establish a home-storage or patient disposal instruction.
Professional information
Clinician-facing context only. Use the current US product-specific prescribing information and specialist protocols. This page does not provide a dose, insertion/removal procedure, replacement timetable, or treatment plan.
United States
Indication: SUPPRELIN LA for children with central precocious puberty; VANTAS for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer
Dose summary: Both US products are 50 mg histrelin acetate subcutaneous implants, but product-specific delivered amounts, populations, indications, monitoring, and risks are not interchangeable. No dosing, timing, procedure, or replacement schedule is displayed in this content model.
Renal context: The supplied sources do not establish a renal-impairment dosing summary. VANTAS identifies urinary-tract obstruction as a risk that can result in renal impairment and requires close clinical monitoring. (1) (2)
Australia, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and New Zealand
Dose summary: Unresolved from the supplied sources; do not extrapolate from the US products.
Renal context: Unresolved from the supplied sources. (1) (2)
Hepatic guidance
The supplied sources do not establish a hepatic-impairment dosing summary.
Overdose note
The supplied sources do not provide an overdose-management protocol in the research notes. Potential implant or medication errors require specialist assessment. (1) (2)
Frequently asked questions
Are SUPPRELIN LA and VANTAS interchangeable?
No. SUPPRELIN LA is the US product indicated for children with CPP, while VANTAS is the US product indicated for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Their labels, patient populations, monitoring, and risks must not be treated as interchangeable. (1) (2)
Can I insert, remove, replace, or manage this implant at home?
No. The implant is placed and removed by trained healthcare professionals. The supplied sources do not establish a home procedure, self-dosing, home-storage, or self-service pathway. (1) (2)
What urgent symptoms should be assessed?
Seek emergency or urgent medical assessment for a suspected severe allergic reaction, serious skin reaction, new seizure, severe or persistent headache with vision changes, concerning neurological symptoms, severe implant-site symptoms, or rapidly worsening cancer symptoms. (1) (2)
What is the mechanism of action of histrelin acetate?
Histrelin acetate is a GnRH agonist. The supplied sources describe initial transient increases in estradiol and/or testosterone with SUPPRELIN LA and a transient testosterone increase during the first treatment week with VANTAS. (1) (2)
References
- SUPPRELIN LA (histrelin acetate) subcutaneous implant — current FDA labelU.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed · United States · dated 2025-09-29 · accessed unresolved_not_provided_in_research_notes · source 1
- VANTAS (histrelin acetate) subcutaneous implant — prescribing informationU.S. Food and Drug Administration · United States · dated 2025-09 · accessed unresolved_not_provided_in_research_notes · source 2
- SUPPRELIN LA (HISTRELIN ACETATE) IMPLANT [ENDO USA, INC.] — US prescribing information (DailyMed SPL)U.S. National Library of Medicine (DailyMed) · US · accessed 2026-08-14 · source 3
- Histrelin Implant — patient drug information (MedlinePlus)U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus) · US · accessed 2026-08-14 · source 4
- SUPPRELIN LA — FDA approval record (Drugs@FDA NDA022058)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · US · accessed 2026-08-14 · source 5
- histrelin — RxNorm normalized drug concept (RXCUI 1294622)U.S. National Library of Medicine (RxNorm) · US · accessed 2026-08-14 · source 6
Brand names by country
Single-ingredient histrelin acetate names are shown separately by country. Product availability, strengths, and supply rules can change; combination products are not included here.
Priority countries
United States
- SUPPRELIN LA50 mg · endo usa, inc.