Key takeaways
- Corticotropin is classified as an adrenocorticotropic hormone with additional oxytocic and thyroid stimulating hormone activity.
- It is a large peptide compound, with a molecular formula of C207H308N56O58S.
- More than 500 registered clinical trials have studied corticotropin or related treatments.
- A Phase 4 trial has examined its use in refractory rheumatoid arthritis.
- No boxed warning is listed on the label.
What corticotropin is
Corticotropin belongs to a class of agents labeled as an adrenocorticotropic hormone, with pharm class listings also noting oxytocic and thyroid stimulating hormone activity. It is a large peptide, built from a long chain of amino acids, distinguishing it from small molecule drugs. Its PubChem entry (CID 16132265) documents its chemical structure in detail.
What the evidence shows
Corticotropin and related compounds have been the subject of 521 registered clinical trials. One Phase 4 trial examined efficacy, radiographic changes, and laboratory changes in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis treated with an ACTH-based gel. A separate Phase 4 trial is currently recruiting to study patient education and duloxetine, alone and in combination, for multisystem functional somatic disorder, indicating ongoing interest in conditions beyond the original indication.
Reported side effects
No adverse event report data was available for this compound at the time of review.