If a doctor has ordered a test to check how well your adrenal glands work, cosyntropin may be the agent behind it. It is not a treatment but a diagnostic tool used to reveal a specific hormonal response.
Key takeaways
- Cosyntropin is classified as an adrenocorticotropic hormone agent used for diagnostic testing.
- It is approved to screen patients for suspected adrenocortical insufficiency.
- The test can be completed in about 30 minutes using two venipunctures.
- Over 98 clinical trials have involved cosyntropin, spanning adrenal and other research areas.
- Reported adverse events most often relate to pregnancy exposure, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
What Cosyntropin Is
Cosyntropin belongs to a drug class known as adrenocorticotropic hormone agents. It is designed to mimic the action of the body's natural hormone that signals the adrenal glands. By prompting the adrenal cortex, it allows clinicians to observe and measure the gland's response.
What Cosyntropin Is Approved For
Cosyntropin for Injection, sold under the brand name Cosyntropin, is approved as a diagnostic agent to screen for adrenocortical insufficiency. Clinicians use it to measure the plasma cortisol response within a rapid, 30-minute office or outpatient procedure. The label notes that a normal basal cortisol level alone does not rule out insufficiency, since many affected patients show normal levels until stressed. This product does not carry a boxed warning.
What the Evidence Shows
Cosyntropin has been studied in 98 registered clinical trials covering a range of diagnostic and research applications. One trial examined salivary free cortisol response to cosyntropin stimulation in patients treated with mitotane, though its status is unknown. Another completed study used cosyntropin stimulation to investigate adrenal function in patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
Reported Side Effects
Reported adverse events associated with cosyntropin, drawn from FAERS reports, center on a few recurring themes. The most frequently reported issues involve pregnancy related exposure, including fetal growth restriction (24 reports) and fetal exposure during pregnancy (23 reports). Metabolic and cardiovascular reactions also appear, including hypoglycaemia (20), hypotension (18), and hyperkalaemia (11). Respiratory and general reactions such as dyspnoea (13), pneumonia (13), and nausea (12) have also been reported. These figures represent report counts submitted to a surveillance system, not confirmed incidence or proof that cosyntropin caused the event.