GENOTROPIN is contraindicated in patients with:

• Acute Critical Illness

Treatment with pharmacologic amounts of somatropin is contraindicated in patients with acute critical illness due to complications following open heart surgery, abdominal surgery or multiple accidental trauma, or those with acute respiratory failure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].

• Prader-Willi Syndrome in Children

Somatropin is contraindicated in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely obese, have a history of upper airway obstruction or sleep apnea, or have severe respiratory impairment. There have been reports of sudden death when somatropin was used in such patients [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].

• Active Malignancy

In general, somatropin is contraindicated in the presence of active malignancy. Any preexisting malignancy should be inactive and its treatment complete prior to instituting therapy with somatropin. Somatropin should be discontinued if there is evidence of recurrent activity. Since growth hormone deficiency may be an early sign of the presence of a pituitary tumor (or, rarely, other brain tumors), the presence of such tumors should be ruled out prior to initiation of treatment. Somatropin should not be used in patients with any evidence of progression or recurrence of an underlying intracranial tumor.

• Hypersensitivity

GENOTROPIN is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to somatropin or any of its excipients. The 5 mg and 12 mg presentations of GENOTROPIN lyophilized powder contain m-cresol as a preservative. Systemic hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with postmarketing use of somatropins [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6)].

• Diabetic Retinopathy

Somatropin is contraindicated in patients with active proliferative or severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

• Closed Epiphyses

Somatropin should not be used for growth promotion in pediatric patients with closed epiphyses.