PeptideHormone

Goserelin

A depot GnRH agonist; same flare-then-suppression mechanism as leuprolide.

Identity

Class
GnRH receptor agonist (decapeptide analog)
Source
Synthetic analog of GnRH
Receptor
GnRH receptor (GnRHR)

Key properties

Molecular weight
~1,269.4 Da
Half-life (native)
~4–5 h (implant depot)
Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.

Mechanism

Goserelin is a GnRH agonist delivered as a slow-release implant. Like other agonists, continuous exposure desensitizes the GnRH receptor after an initial flare, producing sustained suppression of the gonadotropins and downstream sex steroids.

Reference notes

  • Delivered as a subcutaneous depot implant for steady, long-term exposure.
  • Shares the agonist flare-then-desensitization mechanism with leuprolide.
  • Illustrates the pulsatility principle: continuous GnRH signaling suppresses the axis.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.Goserelin · , 2012 · PMID 31644049
  2. 2.Aromatase inhibitors versus tamoxifen in premenopausal women with oestrogen receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer treated with ovarian suppression: a patient-level meta-analysis of 7030 women from four randomised trials · The Lancet. Oncology, 2022 · PMID 35123662