Osilodrostat for Cushing Disease and Its Role in Pediatrics

Cushing disease (CD) is a very rare form of hypercortisolism caused by an adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma. Clinical manifestations of CD can include central fat accumulation, arterial hypertension, glucose intolerance, skin atrophy with striae, and hypogonadism. Children are frequently diagnosed due to a growth stunt and excessive weight gain while classic cushingoid signs might be initially absent. Other children-specific presentations of CD are early or delayed puberty and hyperandrogenism in girls.

We present the main outcomes of clinical trials of osilodrostat (Isturisa®, Recordati) for CD, and its initial development as an aldosterone synthase inhibitor. Osilodrostat is indicated only when the surgical therapy of the pituitary adenoma is not an option or has not been curative; additionally, other steroidogenesis inhibitors were briefly summarized. Clinical trials of osilodrostat in children are lacking and we describe its potential role in the pediatric population.

Osilodrostat is the first adrenal steroidogenesis inhibitor to be European Medicines Agency- and United States Food and Drug Administration-approved (both in 2020) for the treatment of adults with Cushing syndrome/disease. Phase II and III clinical trials have shown its efficacy in normalizing 24-h urinary-free cortisol and a good safety profile. Osilodrostat's pharmacological properties and safety are currently being evaluated in a small Phase II trial (NCT03708900) - the first trial in the pediatric population (<18 years) with an estimated completion date in the year 2023.