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Mecasermin is recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (rhIGF-1), a 70-amino-acid, 7649-dalton non-glycosylated polypeptide produced in Escherichia coli by recombinant DNA technology. The amino acid sequence of mecasermin is identical to that of endogenous human IGF-1, a peptide hormone synthesized principally in the liver under the transcriptional control of growth hormone and serving as the primary mediator of postnatal somatic growth, skeletal maturation, and metabolic homeostasis. Mecasermin is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Increlex (Ipsen), the only therapy approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (August 2005, priority review) and by the European Medicines Agency (2007) for the long-term treatment of growth failure in pediatric patients with severe primary insulin-like growth factor 1 deficiency (SPIGFD), a condition most classically represented by Laron syndrome (growth hormone receptor deficiency) and by growth hormone gene deletion with neutralizing antibodies to exogenous growth hormone.

The mechanism of action is direct agonism of the type 1 IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase structurally homologous to the insulin receptor. Ligand binding activates autophosphorylation of the intracellular kinase domain and recruitment of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) adapter proteins, leading to bifurcated downstream signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway (metabolic, anti-apoptotic, and translational outcomes) and the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway (mitogenic, proliferative, and differentiative outcomes). In the growth plate, IGF-1R activation stimulates chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy in the proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the epiphyseal cartilage, driving longitudinal bone growth through endochondral ossification. The metabolic actions include stimulation of glucose uptake, amino acid incorporation into protein, fatty acid uptake, and suppression of hepatic glucose output, producing a composite anabolic and mildly hypoglycemic pharmacology.

Pharmacokinetics following subcutaneous injection are characterized by near-complete bioavailability, a time to peak plasma concentration of approximately 2 hours, and a terminal elimination half-life that is critically dependent on circulating levels of IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) and the acid-labile subunit (ALS). In patients with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency, who characteristically have low IGFBP-3 and ALS concentrations, the terminal half-life is approximately 5.8 hours; in healthy individuals with normal binding protein levels, the half-life extends to approximately 19 hours owing to sequestration in the 150-kilodalton ternary complex of IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and ALS. The volume of distribution is approximately 0.257 liters per kilogram. Clearance is inversely proportional to IGFBP-3 concentration and is estimated at 0.04 liters per hour per kilogram at an IGFBP-3 level of 3 micrograms per milliliter. Metabolism is predominantly lysosomal, principally in the liver and kidneys, with degradation to amino acids; less than 0.1 percent of administered drug is excreted unchanged in urine.

The pivotal clinical evidence base consists of five open-label, single-arm studies in 71 pediatric patients with SPIGFD treated for a mean duration of 3.9 years (274 subject-years of exposure). First-year height velocity increased from a baseline of 2.6 centimeters per year to 8.0 centimeters per year (p less than 0.0001), with sustained growth acceleration over 8 or more years of continuous treatment. The principal adverse event is hypoglycemia, reported in 42 percent of subjects; severe hypoglycemia requiring assistance occurred in 5 subjects, and hypoglycemic seizures or loss of consciousness occurred in 4 subjects. Hypoglycemia is mitigated by administration within 20 minutes of a meal or snack. Other notable adverse events include tonsillar and adenoidal hypertrophy (15 percent), injection site lipohypertrophy, and intracranial hypertension with papilledema (3 subjects). Long-term safety monitoring has not identified an increased incidence of malignancy at approved doses. Investigational applications of mecasermin extend to Rett syndrome (Phase 1, with improvement in apnea and neurobehavioral parameters), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (negative in controlled trials), and various neuroprotective contexts supported by the neurotrophic properties of IGF-1.

This monograph reviews the chemistry and recombinant production of mecasermin; the IGF-1R signaling pharmacology in molecular detail; the comprehensive pharmacokinetic record including binding protein dependence; the clinical evidence base across growth failure, neuroprotection, and metabolic indications; sourcing and quality verification for research-grade material; reconstitution and handling; stack-interaction considerations; adverse-event signal; and a comparative assessment of five alternative growth-promoting or IGF-1-axis compounds against mecasermin on five competency standards (novelty, effect size, promising potential, side-effect profile, and overall validation).