Somapacitan in children born small for gestational age: 4-year results from phase 2

Anders Juul1,2, Michael Højby3, Masanobu Kawai4

  • 1Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.

PubMed

Insights

Once-weekly somapacitan demonstrated sustained efficacy and safety in children born small for gestational age (SGA) with short stature over four years. Patient preference and adherence improved with somapacitan compared to daily growth hormone (GH) therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Growth Hormone Therapy
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Children born small for gestational age (SGA) often experience short stature.
  • Growth hormone (GH) therapy is a standard treatment, but daily injections can impact adherence and quality of life.
  • Long-acting GH formulations aim to improve treatment convenience and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term efficacy, safety, and tolerability of once-weekly somapacitan in children born SGA with short stature.
  • To assess outcomes after switching from daily GH to somapacitan.
  • To compare patient preference and adherence between somapacitan and daily GH.

Main Methods:

  • A global, randomized, open-label, controlled phase 2 study (REAL5) involving 62 children born SGA.
  • Participants received once-weekly somapacitan or daily GH for up to 208 weeks.
  • Analysis included height standard deviation scores, safety assessments, and patient preference questionnaires.

Main Results:

  • Continuous height standard deviation score increases were observed from week 52 to week 208, including in patients who switched to somapacitan.
  • The safety and tolerability of somapacitan were comparable to daily GH.
  • A significant majority of patients preferred somapacitan (87%) and expected better adherence (80%).

Conclusions:

  • Once-weekly somapacitan provides long-term continuous efficacy, safety, and tolerability in children born SGA.
  • Somapacitan offers a viable alternative to daily GH, with improved patient preference and adherence.
  • These findings support the use of somapacitan for up to four years in this pediatric population.
Abstract

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