HMG
Stocked in 75iu at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 75iu | G75 | $35 |
Classification
Urine-derived gonadotropin mixture (menotropins); an FDA-approved medicine
Structure and chemistry
HMG stands for human menopausal gonadotropin, generic name menotropins. It is not a single molecule but a mixture of glycoprotein hormones extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women, conventionally standardized to equal activity of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Menopur, the highly purified FDA-approved preparation, supplies 75 international units of FSH activity and 75 IU of LH activity per vial. Because it is a biological extract rather than a synthesized compound, it is dosed in units of biological activity, not milligrams.
What the published research shows
Menotropins have decades of clinical use and trial data in assisted reproduction. Published comparative work found the highly purified preparation performed comparably to recombinant FSH for pregnancy rates in IVF and ICSI despite a lower oocyte yield, and reported a less pronounced follicular response and lower risk of ovarian overstimulation.
Mechanism of action
It supplies FSH activity, which drives follicular development, together with LH-receptor activity. One analytical finding here is worth knowing and is not widely appreciated: compositional analysis of the highly purified preparation identified three gonadotropins, not two — FSH, LH and human chorionic gonadotropin — and concluded that roughly 95 percent of the in-vivo LH-receptor-mediated bioactivity is actually attributable to the hCG rather than to LH, because hCG has a considerably longer half-life.
Development history
Menotropins were the first — and for many years the only — gonadotropins available for human use. They came from the recognition that postmenopausal urine reflects a naturally high-gonadotropin state and therefore serves as a practical source of these hormones. An earlier alternative, gonadotropin extracted from human pituitary glands, was abandoned over concerns about transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Current regulatory status
Menotropins are FDA-approved prescription medicines used in reproductive medicine for controlled ovarian stimulation in assisted reproductive technology and for ovulation induction. Catalog material sold as HMG is a research-grade item and is not the approved drug product.
Analytical testing
Potency must be established as biological activity in international units by an appropriate bioassay, not inferred from protein mass or an HPLC purity figure. Two specific issues apply: the FSH-to-LH activity ratio should be verified rather than assumed, and because the material is urine-derived, published work has documented non-gonadotropin protein contaminants and oxidized FSH forms in less-purified preparations.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.