Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin) -- including the Jintropin brand

Pronunciation: so-ma-TROH-pin.

Generic name
somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone)
Drug class
Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) -- a biologic, prescription-only in every market with a genuine regulatory approval
Form
Injection (lyophilised powder for reconstitution, or pre-filled pen/cartridge, depending on brand)
Route
Subcutaneous or intramuscular injection
Legal status
Genuinely regulated, prescription-only somatropin products exist and are approved in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand under various brand names (for example Genotropin, Norditropin, Humatrope, Omnitrope, Saizen). The Jintropin BRAND specifically is different: it is genuinely approved only by China's drug regulator (CFDA, now NMPA, since 2005) and has NO evidence of authorisation in any of the 6 standard Western markets. GeneScience Pharmaceutical Company (Jintropin's manufacturer) and its CEO pleaded guilty in a real 2010 US federal criminal case to illegally marketing Jintropin in the United States, and Jintropin is widely documented as a frequently counterfeited product distributed through unregulated grey-market and bodybuilding-supplement channels outside China.

Availability and supply rules vary by country

Trade names by country: United States · Canada

Australia: · Full directory

What somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone) is and how it works

Somatropin is a laboratory-made (recombinant) version of human growth hormone, used medically to treat growth hormone deficiency and certain other conditions affecting growth, under the direction of a specialist and with genuine diagnostic testing beforehand. Several brands of somatropin are genuinely approved by Western drug regulators. Jintropin is a specific somatropin brand manufactured by Changchun GeneScience Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd in China, genuinely approved there by China's drug regulator since 2005 for real clinical indications -- but it has never been approved by the US FDA or any of the other 5 standard Western regulators checked for this dossier, and its manufacturer has a real, documented US federal criminal conviction for illegally marketing it in the United States. (1) (9)

If you have been prescribed somatropin by a specialist for a diagnosed medical condition, your prescription should be for a specific, regulator-approved brand available through a legitimate pharmacy in your country -- ask your pharmacist or prescriber to confirm this. Jintropin specifically should not be purchased online, through bodybuilding or supplement retailers, or from any source outside China, where it is not a legitimately regulated product: its manufacturer, GeneScience Pharmaceutical Company, and its CEO pleaded guilty in a real 2010 US federal court case to illegally marketing Jintropin in the United States, resulting in $7.5 million in combined financial penalties. Jintropin is also widely documented as one of the most frequently counterfeited human growth hormone products sold through unregulated online channels -- counterfeit product sterility, actual contents, and dosing accuracy cannot be verified, adding a real risk on top of the lack of any Western regulatory oversight.

Mechanism of action: how somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone) works

Somatropin is a recombinant form of human growth hormone, produced using biosynthetic (recombinant DNA) manufacturing technology, that acts on growth hormone receptors to stimulate linear growth, protein synthesis, and various metabolic effects. This mechanism applies to legitimately approved somatropin brands generally; this dossier did not verify Jintropin's specific manufacturing quality-control data independently, since no Western regulatory review of that data exists. (10)

What somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone) is used for

Growth hormone deficiency and related growth disorders (legitimately approved somatropin brands)

Genuinely Western-regulator-approved somatropin brands are used to treat growth hormone deficiency in children and adults, and certain other diagnosed conditions affecting growth, always following specialist assessment and diagnostic testing. This dossier did not conduct a brand-by-brand review of every approved somatropin product's full indication list -- always follow the specific approved product's own label and your prescriber's guidance. (10)

Jintropin's labelled indications in China (not a Western regulatory approval)

China's then-CFDA (now NMPA) approved Jintropin in 2005 for growth hormone deficiency, severe burns, Noonan syndrome, short stature caused by SHOX deficiency, achondroplasia, Turner syndrome (gonadal hypoplasia), children small for gestational age with failure to catch up growth by age 2, hypothalamic-pituitary-disorder-related GH deficiency, and short bowel syndrome. This is Jintropin's genuine Chinese regulatory indication list -- it is not, and should not be read as, an indication reviewed or approved by the FDA, MHRA, EMA, Health Canada, TGA, or Medsafe. (2)

Before taking somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone)

Do not take / not appropriate for

  • Do not obtain or use Jintropin outside China. It is not a legitimately regulated product in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, and its manufacturer has a real US federal criminal conviction for illegally marketing it in the United States. (all countries outside China) (1) (3)
  • Do not purchase any somatropin product, including Jintropin, from an online retailer, bodybuilding-supplement seller, or any source that is not a licensed pharmacy dispensing a prescription you have genuinely been given by a specialist. (all countries) (9)
  • Pharmacologic-dose somatropin (the approved-brand drug class generally) is contraindicated in patients with acute critical illness due to complications of open-heart surgery, abdominal surgery, multiple accidental trauma, or acute respiratory failure -- a significant increase in mortality has been reported in this setting for a legitimately approved somatropin brand. (all countries, for legitimately approved somatropin brands) (10)

Tell your clinician about

  • Exactly which brand and formulation of somatropin you have been prescribed or are considering -- brand identity matters materially for this medicine.
  • Whether you have any history of cancer, since growth hormone can potentially support tumour growth and this is a real area of caution with any somatropin product.
  • Whether you have diabetes or a family history of diabetes, since growth hormone can affect blood sugar control.
  • Any recent major surgery, trauma, or acute critical illness.
  • Whether you obtained, or are considering obtaining, any somatropin product from an online or non-pharmacy source -- this is important safety information for your clinician to know, not something to be embarrassed about disclosing.
(10) (1)

How to take somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone)

  • Legitimate somatropin use always requires a specific diagnosis, specialist assessment, and an individualised prescription -- there is no safe self-directed dose for this medicine.
  • This page does not provide dosing instructions for Jintropin specifically, because it is not a Western-regulator-reviewed product and no verified official dosing label for it exists in any of the 6 standard markets checked.
  • If you have a genuine prescription for an approved somatropin brand, follow your prescriber's and pharmacist's instructions and the specific product's own approved label exactly.
(2)

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) (3) (10)

Missed dose

Contact your prescriber or pharmacist for guidance specific to your prescribed brand and regimen. Do not attempt to make up for a missed dose on your own.

Overdose

Seek urgent medical attention if you think too much somatropin has been administered, or if you experience symptoms such as severe headache, vision changes, or signs of low blood sugar. If a counterfeit or unverified product may have been used, tell the treating clinician this directly, as it affects how your symptoms should be assessed. (10)

Side effects

Side effects and their urgency vary; report severe, persistent, or concerning symptoms.

Injection-site reactions (pain, redness, swelling).

What to notice: Injection-site reactions (pain, redness, swelling).

What to do: Discuss persistent or troublesome symptoms with the treating clinician or pharmacist. (10)

Headache.

What to notice: Headache.

What to do: Discuss persistent or troublesome symptoms with the treating clinician or pharmacist. (10)

Joint pain and swelling (arthralgia, oedema), reported with legitimately approved somatropin products generally.

What to notice: Joint pain and swelling (arthralgia, oedema), reported with legitimately approved somatropin products generally.

What to do: Discuss persistent or troublesome symptoms with the treating clinician or pharmacist. (10)

Serious warnings

Increased mortality in acute critical illness (approved-brand drug-class warning) — high caution

Symptoms: Not applicable to a single symptom -- this is a contraindicated clinical setting: recent open-heart surgery, abdominal surgery, multiple accidental trauma, or acute respiratory failure.

Action: A legitimately approved somatropin brand's own studies found significantly increased mortality in critically ill patients treated with pharmacologic-dose somatropin compared with placebo. Anyone in this clinical situation should have their treating medical team weigh the risks and benefits of continuing or starting any somatropin product. (10)

Using an unapproved, grey-market, or possibly counterfeit product (Jintropin specifically, or any somatropin obtained outside a licensed pharmacy) — high caution

Symptoms: Not applicable -- this is a product-sourcing safety point, not a symptom.

Action: Contact a doctor promptly if you have used, or are using, any somatropin product obtained outside a licensed pharmacy with a genuine prescription -- including Jintropin sourced from outside China. Counterfeit or unverified products carry real risks around sterility, actual contents, and dosing accuracy that cannot be assessed by the patient. Tell your clinician exactly what product you have used so they can assess you appropriately. (1) (9)

Signs of raised intracranial pressure — high caution

Symptoms: Severe or recurring headache, vision changes, nausea or vomiting.

Action: Seek prompt medical attention -- this has been reported with growth hormone treatment generally. (10)

Interactions

  • Corticosteroids (glucocorticoids): may reduce the growth-promoting effect of somatropin; the dose of either medicine may need adjustment by a specialist. (10)
  • Oral oestrogen: may reduce the effectiveness of somatropin, per general recombinant-growth-hormone drug-class information. (10)
  • Medicines metabolised by cytochrome P450 (e.g. some anticonvulsants, ciclosporin): somatropin may affect clearance -- monitoring may be needed. (10)
  • Insulin and oral hypoglycaemic medicines: dose adjustment may be needed since somatropin can affect blood glucose control. (10)

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney/liver function, age

Pregnancy

No general recombinant-growth-hormone data reviewed for this dossier supports self-directed use in pregnancy; any use in pregnancy should be specialist-directed. This dossier does not have Jintropin-specific pregnancy data, since no Western regulatory review of the product exists. (1) (2) (3) (10)

Breastfeeding

Discuss with a specialist before use while breastfeeding. (1) (2) (3) (10)

Children

Legitimate paediatric somatropin use (for genuinely diagnosed growth hormone deficiency and related conditions) requires paediatric endocrinology specialist supervision and an approved, verifiable product -- never a product obtained through a non-pharmacy or grey-market channel. (1) (2) (3) (10)

Elderly

Not specifically addressed in the general sources reviewed for this dossier. (1) (2) (3) (10)

Hepatic_impairment

Not specifically addressed in the general sources reviewed for this dossier. (1) (2) (3) (10)

Renal_impairment

Not specifically addressed in the general sources reviewed for this dossier. (1) (2) (3) (10)

Source_ids

US-DAILYMED-GENOTROPIN-CLASS-BACKGROUND-2026 (1) (2) (3) (10)

Monitoring

Before starting

  • Genuine specialist diagnostic assessment for growth hormone deficiency or the specific condition being treated
  • Confirmation that the specific product is a genuinely approved brand obtained through a licensed pharmacy
  • Screening for any contraindication such as active malignancy or acute critical illness

During treatment

  • Regular specialist follow-up, including growth/clinical response monitoring where relevant.
  • Monitoring for signs of raised intracranial pressure, blood glucose changes, and joint symptoms.
  • Prompt clinician contact if a grey-market or unverified product (including Jintropin sourced outside China) has been used, so appropriate assessment can occur.
(10)

Storage

Store per the specific approved product's label -- most somatropin products require refrigeration and protection from light; follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific prescribed brand.

Professional information

Clinician-facing context only. This section distinguishes between legitimately Western-regulator-approved somatropin brands (with real FDA/EMA/MHRA-reviewed labelling) and the Jintropin brand specifically, which has no such review. Verify against the current full label of the specific approved product actually being prescribed before making any clinical decision.

United States / United Kingdom / European Union / Canada / Australia / New Zealand

Indication: Growth hormone deficiency and other diagnosed conditions, per the specific approved brand's own label (e.g. Genotropin, Norditropin, Humatrope, Omnitrope) -- this dossier did not conduct a brand-by-brand regional dosing review.

Dose summary: Individualised, per the specific approved product's own label and specialist guidance. Contraindicated in acute critical illness (open-heart/abdominal surgery, multiple trauma, acute respiratory failure) at pharmacologic doses, per a legitimately approved somatropin label's own data.

Renal context: Not specifically addressed in the general sources reviewed for this dossier. (10)

China (Jintropin specifically)

Indication: Growth hormone deficiency, severe burns, Noonan syndrome, SHOX-deficiency short stature, achondroplasia, Turner syndrome, small-for-gestational-age children, hypothalamic-pituitary GH deficiency, short bowel syndrome -- per China's CFDA/NMPA approval since 2005.

Dose summary: Manufacturer/China-labelled, indication-specific -- not reproduced here as this is not a Western-regulator-reviewed label.

Renal context: Not specifically addressed in the sources reviewed. (2)

Mechanism of action

Hepatic guidance

Not specifically addressed in the general sources reviewed for this dossier.

Overdose note

Manage suspected overdose or an adverse reaction with supportive care and specialist input; if a grey-market or counterfeit product may be involved, disclose this to the treating team as it affects clinical assessment. (10)

Frequently asked questions

Is Jintropin a legitimate, approved medicine?

In China, yes -- Jintropin has been genuinely approved by China's drug regulator (CFDA, now NMPA) since 2005 for specific growth-related conditions, and is manufactured by a large, established Chinese biopharmaceutical company, GeneScience Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Outside China, the answer is different and important to understand clearly: Jintropin has NO evidence of authorisation in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand (confirmed as a clean, live zero-result search in the US, UK, and Australia this session). More significantly, GeneScience Pharmaceutical Company and its CEO pleaded guilty in a real US federal criminal case in 2010 to illegally marketing Jintropin in the United States, resulting in $7.5 million in combined financial penalties. Jintropin is also widely documented as a frequently counterfeited product sold through grey-market and bodybuilding-supplement channels outside China. This page does not overstate Jintropin's legitimacy -- it is a real, approved product in China, and a real, documented illegal/grey-market product in the West. (2) (1) (3) (9)

Why is Jintropin sold online in countries where it isn't approved?

Jintropin is distributed through unregulated online and bodybuilding-supplement channels outside China despite having no Western regulatory approval, which is precisely why GeneScience Pharmaceutical Company and its CEO were criminally prosecuted and pleaded guilty in the United States in 2010 for illegally marketing it there. It is also one of the most frequently counterfeited human growth hormone products, meaning products sold as 'Jintropin' outside China may not even be genuine -- their actual contents, sterility, and dosing cannot be verified. Buying or using it outside a licensed pharmacy with a genuine prescription carries real legal and health risks. (1) (9)

Are there legitimate, approved brands of human growth hormone (somatropin)?

Yes. Several somatropin brands are genuinely approved by Western drug regulators (for example Genotropin, Norditropin, Humatrope, and Omnitrope, among others), each with their own FDA/EMA/MHRA-reviewed prescribing information, including a real contraindication and increased-mortality warning in acute critical illness. If you have a genuine medical need for growth hormone treatment, ask your prescriber and pharmacist to confirm you are receiving one of these approved products through a licensed pharmacy -- not Jintropin or any other product obtained outside that system. (10)

What happened in the US legal case against Jintropin's manufacturer?

GeneScience Pharmaceutical Company (Jintropin's Chinese manufacturer) and its CEO, Lei Jin, were indicted in 2007 and pleaded guilty, with pleas and sentencing on 6 October 2010 (US Attorney's Office, District of Rhode Island), to illegally marketing unapproved human growth hormone under the Jintropin brand name over the internet into the United States. The combined financial impact was $7.5 million: a $4.5 million criminal forfeiture, a prior $2.7 million civil forfeiture (seized in 2007 from Chinese bank accounts in New York), and a $3 million payment to a Clean Competition Fund supporting anti-doping drug testing and research. (1)

What is the mechanism of action of somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone)?

Somatropin is a recombinant form of human growth hormone, produced using biosynthetic (recombinant DNA) manufacturing technology, that acts on growth hormone receptors to stimulate linear growth, protein synthesis, and various metabolic effects. This mechanism applies to legitimately approved somatropin brands generally; this dossier did not verify Jintropin's specific manufacturing quality-control data independently, since no Western regulatory review of that data exists. (10)

What is the generic name of Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin) -- including the Jintropin brand?

The generic name is somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone). (2) (1)

What class of drug is somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone)?

Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin) -- including the Jintropin brand is classed as: Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) -- a biologic, prescription-only in every market with a genuine regulatory approval. (2) (1)

References

  1. GeneScience Pharmaceutical Company and CEO Lei Jin plead guilty to illegally marketing unapproved human Growth Hormone (Jintropin) in the United StatesU.S. Department of Justice -- U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Rhode Island (official archived press release) · United States · dated 2010-10-06 · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 1
  2. Jintropin (somatropin for injection) -- China CFDA approval (2005) and labelled indicationsGeneScience Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (manufacturer) and secondary clinical-research summary describing China CFDA/NMPA approval · China · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 2
  3. DailyMed search for 'jintropin' -- zero resultsDailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) -- product label search · United States · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 3
  4. emc.medicines.org.uk search for 'jintropin' -- zero resultselectronic medicines compendium (emc), United Kingdom -- product search · United Kingdom · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 4
  5. TGA PI & CMI search for 'jintropin' -- zero documentsTherapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia -- PI & CMI product search · Australia · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 5
  6. EMA medicine search for 'jintropin' -- technical failure (HTTP 401)n/a -- disclosed live-query technical failure, not a confirmed negative or positive result · European Union · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 6
  7. Health Canada Drug Product Database search for 'jintropin' -- technical failure (HTTP 405)n/a -- disclosed live-query technical failure, not a confirmed negative or positive result · Canada · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 7
  8. Medsafe product/trade-name search -- form-based search, no direct result page captured for 'jintropin'n/a -- disclosed live-query limitation, not a confirmed negative or positive result · New Zealand · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 8
  9. Jintropin counterfeiting prevalence and grey-market/bodybuilding-channel distribution riskCorroborated reporting from multiple independent sources describing Jintropin counterfeiting and grey-market distribution (search-summary level; the specific official U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release on HGH seizure operations could not be directly fetched this session -- HTTP 403 -- so this finding is disclosed at the corroborated-summary level, not as a directly-read primary document) · International / United States · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 9
  10. GENOTROPIN (somatropin) for injection -- full prescribing information (acute critical illness contraindication/mortality warning)U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) / DailyMed -- a different, legitimately FDA-approved somatropin product, used here only as general recombinant-human-growth-hormone drug-class safety background, NOT as evidence about Jintropin itself · United States · accessed 2026-07-30 · source 10

Brand names by country

Single-ingredient somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone) names are shown separately by country. Product availability, strengths, and supply rules can change; combination products are not included here.

Priority countries

United States

  • Norditropin30 mg/3mL, 5 mg.5mL, 15 mg.5mL, 10 mg.5mL · novo nordisk
  • Omnitrope10 mg.5mL, 5 mg.5mL · sandoz inc
  • Multi-Potency Growth Hormone Drops 21626 [hp_X]/59mL · professional complementary health formulas
  • HGH30 [hp_X]/30mL · problen

Canada

  • GENOTROPIN
  • SAIZEN
  • NORDITROPIN NORDIFLEX
  • NUTROPIN AQ NUSPIN
  • OMNITROPE
  • NUTROPIN AQ
  • HUMATROPE INJ
View brands in additional countries.