Unlicensed uses for growth hormone

Synthetic human growth hormone (GH) is licensed for the treatment of short stature in GH-deficient children and girls with Turner syndrome (gonadal dysgenesis). GH is now also being used to treat children with growth failure due to other causes, as replacement therapy in GH-deficient adults and as an anabolic drug in certain groups of non-GH-deficient adults. This article discusses these unlicensed uses.