A phase II basket trial of vosoritide in children with RASopathies, ACAN, and NPR2 deficiency

Genetic defects in many biological pathways, including activation of the Ras-MAPK pathway, cause short stature. Vosoritide, a C-type natriuretic peptide analog that inhibits this pathway, has been approved for use in achondroplasia.

To determine whether vosoritide improves growth in children with disorders of the Ras-MAPK pathway, including RASopathies, ACAN, and NPR2 deficiency.

Prospective Phase 2 basket trial.

Academic medical center.

Thirty prepubertal children aged 3 to 11 years with a RASopathy, ACAN or NPR2 deficiency and height ≤ -2.25 SD.

Six-month observation period followed by 12-month treatment with vosoritide subcutaneously 15 µg/kg/day.

Co-primary outcomes included incidence of adverse events, change in annualized growth velocity (AGV), and height standard deviation scores.

The AGV increased from 4.53 ± 1.61 cm/year to 8.09 ± 1.58 cm/year with treatment (P < .0001). This corresponded to a 4.0 SD (95%CI 3.08-4.91) increase in age and sex-adjusted AGV Z-score (P < .0001). The increase in AGV was seen in all genetic subgroups. There was a height increase of 0.65 SD (95%CI 0.53-0.77) in the treatment vs observation period (P < .0001).Short-term safety was reassuring, with mild injection site reactions being the most common adverse events. However, with longer use, 5 subjects discontinued medication due to adverse events, including 3 slipped capital femoral epiphyses and 4 cases of genu valgum.

Vosoritide led to marked increases in growth velocity in children with RASopathies, ACAN, and NPR2 deficiency, raising the possibility that vosoritide could be an effective precision medicine for all growth disorders affecting the MAPK pathway.