Short answer: All three are daily somatropin (growth hormone) injections for children with growth failure and adults with growth hormone deficiency. They differ mainly in device and storage: Norditropin is a ready-to-use prefilled pen, Genotropin is powder mixed in a two-chamber cartridge, and Omnitrope comes as ready-to-use cartridges or a powder vial.123 Only Norditropin lists Noonan syndrome.
| Norditropin | Genotropin | Omnitrope | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it comes | FlexPro prefilled pens: 5 mg/1.5 mL, 10 mg/1.5 mL, 15 mg/1.5 mL, 30 mg/3 mL1 | Powder in two-chamber cartridges, 5 mg and 12 mg, for the Genotropin Pen 5 and Pen 12; single-dose MiniQuick, 0.2 mg to 2 mg2 | Solution cartridges, 5 mg/1.5 mL and 10 mg/1.5 mL, for the Omnitrope Pen 5 and Pen 10; 5.8 mg powder vial3 |
| Mixing needed | No; clear solution1 | Yes; the cartridge mixes powder and liquid, giving 5 or 12 mg/mL2 | Cartridges: no. Vial: yes, with the packaged diluent3 |
| Children: approved uses | GH deficiency, Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, born small for gestational age, idiopathic short stature, Prader-Willi syndrome1 | GH deficiency, Prader-Willi syndrome, small for gestational age, Turner syndrome, idiopathic short stature2 | GH deficiency, Prader-Willi syndrome, small for gestational age, Turner syndrome, idiopathic short stature3 |
| Adults | Growth hormone deficiency1 | Adult-onset or childhood-onset GH deficiency2 | Adult-onset or childhood-onset GH deficiency3 |
| Child GH deficiency, label range | 0.17 to 0.24 mg/kg/week, split over 6 or 7 days1 | 0.16 to 0.24 mg/kg/week2 | 0.16 to 0.24 mg/kg/week, split into 6 or 7 daily injections3 |
| Adult starting dose on the label | About 0.2 mg/day (0.15 to 0.3), or 0.004 mg/kg/day1 | About 0.2 mg/day (0.15 to 0.30), or up to 0.04 mg/kg/week2 | Up to 0.04 mg/kg/week, in daily injections3 |
| Preservative | Phenol1 | m-cresol in the 5 mg and 12 mg cartridges2 | Benzyl alcohol in the 5 mg cartridge and in the vial diluent3 |
| Once in use | Fridge for 4 weeks, or up to 77°F for 3 weeks1 | Mixed cartridge: in the pen, in the fridge, up to 28 days. MiniQuick: one use only2 | Cartridge: in the pen, in the fridge, up to 28 days. Mixed vial: in the fridge, up to 21 days3 |
| Before first use | Fridge until expiry1 | Fridge until expiry; MiniQuick may be kept up to 3 months at or below 77°F before mixing2 | Fridge until expiry3 |
Norditropin FlexPro pens hold a ready solution, so there is nothing to mix.1 Genotropin cartridges have two chambers, powder in front and liquid behind, and are mixed inside a reusable Genotropin Pen 5 or Pen 12; the MiniQuick is a single-dose device that is mixed and used once.2 Omnitrope cartridges are a ready solution that must be used with the matching Omnitrope Pen 5 or Pen 10, and the 5.8 mg vial is mixed with its packaged diluent.3
Only Norditropin gives a room-temperature option once in use: up to 3 weeks at or below 77°F, or 4 weeks in the fridge.1 A mixed Genotropin cartridge and an in-use Omnitrope cartridge both stay in the fridge for up to 28 days; a mixed Omnitrope vial lasts 21 days.23 Unmixed Genotropin MiniQuick is the one form that can sit at room temperature for up to 3 months before use.2
Full details: how to store Norditropin, Genotropin and Omnitrope.
Mostly. All three cover children with growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, small for gestational age without catch-up growth, and idiopathic short stature, plus adults with growth hormone deficiency. Norditropin also lists short stature with Noonan syndrome.123
Each brand uses a different preservative: phenol in Norditropin, m-cresol in the Genotropin 5 mg and 12 mg cartridges, and benzyl alcohol in the Omnitrope 5 mg cartridge and vial diluent.123 Genotropin is contraindicated in people allergic to any of its ingredients, and the Omnitrope label warns that benzyl alcohol has been linked to serious adverse events and death, particularly in children.23 An allergy to one preservative is a reason to ask about another brand.
More detail: Norditropin, Genotropin and Omnitrope side effects, the Norditropin, Genotropin and Omnitrope dosing schedules, and a missed somatropin dose. For weekly options, see Sogroya vs daily growth hormone: what changes with a weekly shot?.