Clinical experience with somatrem in Japan

A total of 62 patients with pituitary dwarfism were treated with three different preparations of human growth hormone (hGH) produced by recombinant DNA technology (somatrem). They were given somatrem, 0.5 IU/kg body weight/week for 3-14 months. Their height velocity increased from 3.5 +/- 0.9 to 8.2 +/- 1.7 cm/year (mean +/- SEM) during treatment. There were no significant changes in physical, blood and urine examinations. Anti-hGH antibody was observed in 39 of 62 patients (62.9%) at the end of 3 months of treatment with three different preparations of somatrem and in 16 of 21 patients (76.2%) at the end of 12 months of treatment with highly purified Somatonorm. The presence of antibody to hGH did not affect the growth rate in 48 of 49 hGH deficient children who had measurable antibody.