In preregistration studies of lanreotide, serum enzyme levels did not change appreciably and there were no reports of clinically apparent acute liver injury. Pooled analyses reported that there were no overall changes in serum ALT, AST or alkaline phosphatase levels during therapy or instances of clinically meaningful elevations with treatment. Prolonged therapy with lanreotide, as with other somatostatin analogues, was associated with a high rate of biliary sludge and cholelithiasis, probably due to inhibition of gall bladder contractility and decrease in bile secretion. In long term studies, cholelithiasis developed in 20% to 33% of lanreotide treated patients. In some instances, symptomatic cholecystitis occurred which can be accompanied by mild-to-moderate elevations in serum enzymes and bilirubin. However, most lanreotide associated gallstones were asymptomatic. Unlike octreotide, lanreotide and other long acting somatostatin analogues have not been liked to cases of clinically apparent liver injury, independent of cholelithiasis or biliary sludge, although they have had more limited use and have not been used in many of the clinical situations that were treated with octreotide (portal hypertension, variceal hemorrhage and infants with congenital hyperinsulinemia).
Mild, transient, asymptomatic elevations in serum aminotransferase levels occur in a small proportion of patients receiving octreotide, and in some individuals the elevations are persistent and worsen over time and may require drug discontinuation. In addition, several instances of acute, clinically apparent liver injury attributable to octreotide have been described. The onset is generally within 1 to 6 months of starting therapy and injury may be more frequent with higher doses. Most cases of liver injury associated with octreotide therapy have been asymptomatic and anicteric, and marked by prominent elevations in serum ALT and AST with normal or near normal serum alkaline phosphatase, GGT and bilirubin. In some instances, however, jaundice has arisen, particularly with rechallenge. There have been no instances of acute liver failure or vanishing bile duct syndrome associated with octreotide, and a characteristic feature of the injury is the rapidity of improvement upon stopping the injections or infusions. Several instances of marked aminotransferase elevations with rapid improvements on stopping have been reported in newborns and infants with congenital hyperinsulinemia who were treated with continuous infusions of high doses of octreotide.
Octreotide causes inhibition of gall bladder contractility and decrease in bile secretion, and long term therapy is associated with a high rate of cholesterol gallstone formation. In prospective studies, between 25% and 65% of patients with acromegaly treated with maintenance octreotide developed gallstones detected by ultrasonography and a proportion developed symptomatic cholelithiasis requiring hospitalization and cholecystectomy. Even after cholecystectomy, cholesterol stones may form in the common bile duct and intrahepatic ducts causing symptoms, episodes of sepsis and need for partial hepatic resection. Therapy with ursodiol does not appear to prevent gallstone formation during octreotide therapy, although it may help. Octreotide has also been associated with acute pancreatitis, which may be due to its inhibitory effect on gastrointestinal hormone release, although other cases may be secondary to passage of gall bladder stones and pancreatic duct obstruction.
Likelihood score: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
Mild, transient, asymptomatic elevations in serum aminotransferase levels occur in up to 29% of patients receiving pasireotide LAR, but elevations above 5 times the upper limit of normal are rare (
Pasireotide causes inhibition of gall bladder contractility and a decrease in bile secretion, and long term therapy is associated with a high rate of cholesterol gallstone formation. In prospective studies, between 20% and 30% of patients with acromegaly treated with maintenance pasireotide for one to two years developed gallstones detected by ultrasonography and a proportion developed symptomatic cholelithiasis requiring hospitalization and cholecystectomy. Even after cholecystectomy, cholesterol stones may form in the common bile duct and intrahepatic ducts during somatostatin analogue therapy which can cause symptoms and liver test abnormalities. Therapy with ursodiol does not appear to prevent gallstone formation related to somatostatin analogue therapy, although it may help.
Likelihood score: E* (unproven but suspected rare cause of clinically apparent hepatobiliary injury).