Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
Weekly Somapacitan is Effective and Well Tolerated in Children With GH Deficiency: The Randomized Phase 3 REAL4 Trial
Bradley S Miller1, Joanne C Blair2, Michael Højby Rasmussen3
1Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
Context:
Somapacitan, a once-weekly reversible albumin-binding GH derivative, is evaluated in children with GH deficiency (GHD).
Objective:
To demonstrate efficacy and safety of somapacitan vs daily GH.
Methods:
REAL4 is a randomised, multinational, open-labeled, active-controlled parallel group phase 3 trial, comprising a 52-week main trial and 3-year extension (NCT03811535).
Setting:
Eighty-six sites across 20 countries.
Patients:
200 treatment-naïve patients were randomized and exposed.
Interventions:
Patients were randomized 2:1 to somapacitan (0.16 mg/kg/wk) or daily GH (Norditropin; 0.034 mg/kg/d), administered subcutaneously.
Main Outcome Measures:
The primary endpoint was annualized height velocity (HV; cm/y) at week 52. Additional assessments included HV SD score (SDS), height SDS, bone age, IGF-I SDS, patient-reported outcomes, and safety measures.
Results:
Estimated mean HV at week 52 was 11.2 and 11.7 cm/y for somapacitan and daily GH, respectively. Noninferiority was confirmed. Changes in HV SDS, height SDS, bone age, and IGF-I SDS from baseline to week 52 were similar between treatment groups. At week 52, mean IGF-I SDS values were similar between treatment groups and within normal range (-2 to +2). Safety of somapacitan was consistent with the well-known daily GH profile. Low proportions of injection-site reactions were reported for somapacitan (5.3%) and daily GH (5.9%). Both treatments similarly reduced disease burden from baseline to week 52, whereas a greater treatment burden reduction was observed for somapacitan.
Conclusions:
Similar efficacy for somapacitan compared to daily GH was demonstrated over 52 weeks of treatment with comparable safety and mean IGF-I SDS levels in treatment-naïve children with GHD.
Related Concept Videos
Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy
Dosage Regimen: Fixed Dose
Fixed-dose regimens can be used for various routes of administration, including intravenous (IV) injections and oral medications. For IV administration, a predetermined amount of the drug is...
Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects
The basal dose constitutes about 40%-50% of the total daily dose, with the rest as premeal insulin. The mealtime insulin dose should mirror...

