Short answer: For ovulation induction, the Follistim AQ Cartridge label starts at 50 IU a day under the skin for at least 7 days, then raises by 25 or 50 IU at weekly intervals if needed, up to 250 IU a day. For IVF or ICSI it starts at 200 IU a day for at least 7 days, up to 500 IU a day. Men take 450 IU a week with hCG for at least 3 to 4 months.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Follistim AQ Cartridge is approved for: Follistim AQ Cartridge is an FSH approved to induce ovulation and pregnancy in anovulatory infertile women whose infertility is functional and not due to primary ovarian failure; for pregnancy in ovulatory women having controlled ovarian stimulation as part of IVF or ICSI; and to induce sperm production in men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism not due to primary testicular failure (sections 1.1 to 1.3).
Source
FOLLISTIM AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta) injection, for subcutaneous use, prescribing information, Patient Information and Instructions for Use. Organon. DailyMed, version published May 28, 2026. DailyMed setid 48489027-e52b-4b10-ae74-4ba03839150c
Follistim AQ Cartridge is a ready-to-use solution injected under the skin only with the Follistim Pen. No other medicine is added to the cartridge, and it is not used if it is not clear and colorless (sections 2.1 and 5.11).
Cartridges come in 300 IU per 0.36 mL, 600 IU per 0.72 mL and 900 IU per 1.08 mL (section 3).
The pen delivers on average 18% more follitropin beta than reconstituted Follistim by syringe, so the label gives a conversion table and suggests lower starting doses and smaller changes (section 2.1).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Step | Ovulation induction | IVF or ICSI | Sperm production in men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting dose | 50 IU daily for at least the first 7 days | 200 IU daily for at least the first 7 days | After hCG pretreatment normalizes testosterone: 450 IU per week, as 225 IU twice weekly or 150 IU three times per week, with hCG |
| Adjustments | At weekly intervals by 25 or 50 IU, based on ovarian response | After the first 7 days, down or up by ovarian response; reduction in high responders from day 6 onward | A lower dose may be considered because the pen delivers more |
| Maximum daily dose | 250 IU | 500 IU | Not stated |
| Length | Until ultrasound and/or estradiol approximate pre-ovulatory conditions | Usually 7 to 12 days in normal responders | At least 3 to 4 months; response noted at up to 12 months |
| Ending stimulation | 5,000 to 10,000 IU urinary hCG; withheld if OHSS risk is increased | 5,000 to 10,000 IU urinary hCG; egg retrieval 34 to 36 hours later | Not applicable |
| Lyophilized recombinant FSH dosing with ampules or vials, using conventional syringe | FOLLISTIM AQ Cartridge dosing with the FOLLISTIM Pen |
|---|---|
| 75 IU | 50 IU |
| 150 IU | 125 IU |
| 225 IU | 175 IU |
| 300 IU | 250 IU |
| 375 IU | 300 IU |
| 450 IU | 375 IU |
Each value represents an 18% difference rounded to the nearest 25 IU increment.
During ovulation induction and for two weeks after, the woman is assessed at least every other day for signs of overstimulation. Follistim is stopped if monitoring suggests a higher OHSS risk or abdominal pain occurs.
For ovulation induction, the label encourages daily intercourse from the day before hCG until ovulation is apparent.
For IVF or ICSI, low or poor responders have the daily dose raised by ovarian response, and high responders have it lowered, paused, or the cycle stopped.
Men first take 1,500 IU of urinary hCG twice weekly to normalize testosterone; if it is not normal after 8 weeks, hCG can go up to 3,000 IU twice weekly. Follistim is then added at the same hCG dose.
Unused cartridges are kept refrigerated at 2 to 8 C until expiry, or at room temperature up to 25 C for 3 months or until expiry, whichever comes first. After first use they are kept at 2 to 25 C and discarded after 28 days, in the carton, not frozen.
The label says not to change the dose unless the healthcare provider says to, and not to re-use pen needles.
If a dose is missed or forgotten, the next dose should not be doubled, and the patient should call the healthcare provider for further dosing instructions.
More on this: missed a dose of Follistim AQ Cartridge.
Moving from reconstituted FSH by syringe to Follistim AQ Cartridge with the pen: 75 IU becomes 50 IU, 150 becomes 125, 225 becomes 175, 300 becomes 250, 375 becomes 300 and 450 becomes 375 (Table 1).
Switching from other brands, types (recombinant or urinary) or methods of giving FSH may need a dose adjustment.
In Dose Track you set up Follistim AQ Cartridge as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.