Ocran® is a synthetic compound derived from somatostatin, a substance normally found in the human body which inhibits the effects of certain hormones such as growth hormone. The advantages of Ocran® over somatostatin are that it is stronger and its effects last longer.
Ocran® is used
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in acromegaly, a condition where the body produces too much growth hormone. Normally, growth hormone controls growth of tissues, organs, and bones. Too much growth hormone leads to an increase in the size of bones and tissues, especially in the hands and feet. Ocran® markedly reduces the symptoms of acromegaly, which include headache, excessive perspiration, numbness of the hands and feet, tiredness, and joint pain.
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to relieve symptoms associated with some tumours of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. carcinoid tumours, VIPomas, glucagonomas, gastrinomas, insulinomas). In these conditions, there is overproduction of some specific hormones and other related substances by the stomach, bowels, or pancreas. This overproduction upsets the natural hormonal balance of the body and results in a variety of symptoms, such as flushing, diarrhoea, low blood pressure, rash, and weight loss. Treatment with Ocran® helps to control these symptoms.
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to prevent complications following surgery of the pancreas gland. Treatment with Ocran® helps to lower the risk of complications (e.g. abscess in the abdomen, inflammation of the pancreas gland) after the surgery.
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to stop bleeding and to protect from re-bleeding from ruptured gastro-oesophageal varices in patients suffering from cirrhosis (chronic liver disease). Treatment with Ocran® helps to control bleeding and reduce transfusion requirements.
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to treat pituitary tumours that produce too much thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Too much thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) leads to hyperthyroidism.
Ocran® is used to treat people with pituitary tumours that produce too much thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH):
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when other types of treatment (surgery or radiotherapy) are not suitable or have not worked;
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after radiotherapy, to cover the interim period until the radiotherapy becomes fully effective.

Do not use Ocran®
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if you are allergic to octreotide or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor before using Ocran®:
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if you know that you have gallstones now, or have had them in the past; tell your doctor, as prolonged use of Ocran® may result in gallstone formation. Your doctor may wish to check your gallbladder periodically.
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if you have problems with your blood sugar levels, either too high (diabetes) or too low (hypoglycemia). When Ocran® is used to treat bleeding from gastro-oesophageal varices; monitoring of blood sugar level is mandatory.
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if you have a history of vitamin B12 deprivation your doctor may wish to check your vitamin B12 level periodically.
Test and checks
If you receive treatment with Ocran® over a long period of time, your doctor may wish to check your thyroid function periodically.
Your doctor will check your liver function.
Children
There is little experience with the use of Ocran® in children.
Other medicines and Ocran®
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
You can generally continue taking other medicines while on Ocran®. However, certain medicines, such as cimetidine, ciclosporin, bromocriptine, quinidine and terfenadine have been reported to be affected by Ocran®.
If you are taking a medicine to control your blood pressure (e.g. a beta blocker or a calcium channel blocker) or an agent to control your fluid and electrolyte balance, your doctor may need to adjust the dosage.
If you are diabetic, your doctor may need to adjust your insulin dosage.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
Ocran® should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed.
Women of child-bearing age should use an effective contraceptive method during treatment.
Do not breast-feed while using Ocran®. It is not known whether Ocran® passes into breast milk.
Driving and using machines
Ocran® has no or negligible effects on the ability to drive and use machines. However, some of the side effects you may experience while using Ocran®, such as headache and tiredness, may reduce your ability to drive and use machines safely.
Ocran® contains sodium
Ocran® contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, which means it is essentially “sodiumfree”.

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Depending on the condition being treated, Ocran® is given by:
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subcutaneous (under the skin) injection or
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intravenous (into a vein) infusion.
If you have liver cirrhosis (chronic liver disease), your doctor may need to adjust your maintenance dose.

Your doctor or nurse will explain to you how to inject Ocran® under the skin, but infusion into a vein must always be performed by a health care professional.
Subcutaneous injection
The upper arms, thighs, and abdomen are good areas for subcutaneous injection.
Choose a new site for each subcutaneous injection so that you do not irritate a particular area. Patients who will be injecting themselves must receive precise instructions from the doctor or nurse.
If you store the medicine in the refrigerator, it is recommended that you allow it to reach room temperature before using it. This will reduce the risk of pain at the site of injection. You can warm it up in your hand but do not heat it.
A few people experience pain at the site of the subcutaneous injection. This pain usually only lasts a short time. If this happens to you, you can relieve this by gently rubbing the site of injection for a few seconds afterwards.
Before using a Ocran® ampoule, check the solution for particles or a change of color. Do not use it if you see anything unusual.
If you use more Ocran® than you should
No life-threatening reactions have been reported after overdose of Ocran®.
The symptoms of overdose are: irregular heart beat, low blood pressure, cardiac arrest, reduced supply of oxygen to the brain, severe upper stomach pain, yellow skin and eyes, nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, weight loss, abdominal swelling, discomfort and high level of lactic acid in the blood.
If you think that an overdose has happened and you experience such symptoms, tell your doctor straight away.
If you forget to use Ocran®
Administer one dose as soon as you remember, and then continue as usual. It will not do any harm if you miss a dose, but you could get some temporary re-appearance of symptoms until you get back on schedule.
Do not inject a double dose of Ocran® to make up for forgotten individual doses.
If you stop using Ocran®
If you interrupt your treatment with Ocran® your symptoms may come back. Therefore, do not stop using Ocran® unless your doctor tells you to.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Like all medicines this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.Some side effects could be serious. Tell your doctor straight away if you get any of the following: Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
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Gallstones, leading to sudden back pain.
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Too much sugar in the blood.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
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Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) causing changes in heart rate, appetite or weight; tiredness, feeling cold, or swelling at the front of the neck.
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Changes in thyroid function tests.
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Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis); symptoms may include pain in the upper right abdomen, fever, nausea, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
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Too little sugar in the blood.
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Impaired glucose tolerance.
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Slow heart beat.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
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Thirst, low urine output, dark urine, dry flushed skin.
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Fast heart beat.
Other serious side effects
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Hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions including skin rash.
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A type of an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) which can cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, swelling and tingling, possibly with a drop in blood pressure with dizzinessor loss of consciousness.
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An inflammation of the pancreas gland (pancreatitis); symptoms may include sudden pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea.
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Liver inflammation (hepatitis); symptoms may include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, generally feeling unwell, itching, light-coloured urine.
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Irregular heart beat.
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Low level of platelet count in blood; this could result in increased bleeding or bruising.
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Tell your doctor straight away if you notice any of the side effects above.
Other side effects:
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Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you notice any of the side effects listed below. They are usually mild and tend to disappear as treatment progresses.
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Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
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Diarrhoea.
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Abdominal pain.
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Nausea.
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Constipation.
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Flatulence (wind).
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Headache.
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Local pain at the injection site.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
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Stomach discomfort after meal (dyspepsia).
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Vomiting.
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Feeling of fullness in the stomach.
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Fatty stools.
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Loose stools.
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Discolouration of faeces.
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Dizziness.
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Loss of appetite.
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Change in liver function tests.
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Hair loss.
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Shortness of breath.
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Weakness.
If you get any side effects, please tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
If you are administering Ocran® by subcutaneous injection, it may help to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal side effects if you avoid eating meals around the time of injection. It is therefore recommended that you inject Ocran® between meals or when you go to bed.

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Store in the original package in order to protect from light.
Store in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C). Do not freeze.
The ampoules (100 and 500 micrograms/1ml) may be stored below 30°C for up to two weeks.
The ampoules should be used immediately after opening.
Diluted solutions should be used immediately after preparation.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label and carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not use this medicine if you notice particles or a change of color.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste.
Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.