Thyrotropin Alfa
Thyrogen (thyrotropin alfa) is a recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone used as an adjunct in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer. It stimulates remaining thyroid tissue and any thyroid cancer cells to take up radioiodine or produce thyroglobulin, enabling diagnostic testing and treatment without requiring patients to discontinue thyroid hormone therapy.
Thyrogen is used in thyroid cancer patients to help detect residual or recurrent thyroid tissue and enhance radioiodine treatment effectiveness.
Key facts at a glance
- RxNorm
- 2166574
- Generic
- Thyrogen
- Class
- brand-name
- Brands
- —
- Availability
- rx
- Lactation
- unknown
- Routes
- —
- Forms
- —
- Regions
- US, EU, CN, JP
- Monitoring
- —
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Do not use this information to diagnose yourself or to replace a physician's advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, call your local emergency number immediately.
Used for radioiodine ablation of thyroid remnants in thyroid cancer patients post-thyroidectomy, and for stimulation of serum thyroglobulin testing to detect thyroid cancer recurrence in patients who have had thyroidectomy and are on thyroid hormone suppression therapy.
Thyrogen is a recombinant form of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). When administered, it binds to TSH receptors on remaining thyroid cells, stimulating them to absorb iodine and produce thyroglobulin, which allows cancer detection and enables radioiodine therapy to be more effective.
Administered as two intramuscular injections (0.9 mg each) given 24 hours apart before radioiodine procedures. Patients do not need to stop thyroid hormone therapy, avoiding hypothyroid symptoms. Should be used only with radioiodine for ablation. May cause nausea; contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to thyrotropin alfa or any excipients. Pregnancy category C.
Official drug label
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Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial Team Last reviewed August 9, 2026. · Read our editorial policy