Treatment Burden of Weekly Somatrogon vs Daily Somatropin in Children With Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Randomized Study

Context

Somatrogon is a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone treatment developed as a once-weekly treatment for pediatric patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Objective

Evaluate patient and caregiver perceptions of the treatment burden associated with the once-weekly somatrogon injection regimen vs a once-daily Somatropin injection regimen.

Methods

Pediatric patients (≥3 to <18 years) with GHD receiving once-daily somatropin at enrollment were randomized 1:1 to Sequence 1 (12 weeks of once-daily Somatropin, then 12 weeks of once-weekly somatrogon) or Sequence 2 (12 weeks of once-weekly somatrogon, then 12 weeks of once-daily Somatropin). Treatment burden was assessed using validated questionnaires completed by patients and caregivers. The primary endpoint was the difference in mean overall life interference (LI) total scores after each 12-week treatment period (somatrogon vs Somatropin), as assessed by questionnaires.

Results

Of 87 patients randomized to Sequence 1 (n = 43) or 2 (n = 44), 85 completed the study. Once-weekly somatrogon had a significantly lower treatment burden than once-daily Somatropin, based on mean overall LI total scores after somatrogon (8.63) vs Somatropin (24.13) treatment (mean difference –15.49; 2-sided 95% CI –19.71, –11.27; P < .0001). Once-weekly somatrogon was associated with greater convenience, higher satisfaction with treatment experience, and less LI. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) for Somatropin and somatrogon was 44.2% and 54.0%, respectively. No severe or serious AEs were reported.

Conclusion

In pediatric patients with GHD, once-weekly somatrogon had a lower treatment burden and was associated with a more favorable treatment experience than once-daily Somatropin.

Health Care Transition From Pediatric- to Adult-Focused Care in X-linked Hypophosphatemia: Expert Consensus

CONTEXT

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is an inherited skeletal disorder that can lead to lifelong deleterious musculoskeletal and functional consequences. Although often perceived as a childhood condition, children and adults both experience the negative effects of XLH. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) benefit from effective health care transition (HCT) preparation to support the transfer from pediatric- to adult-focused care. Whereas transition timelines, milestones, and educational tools exist for some chronic conditions, they do not meet the unique needs of patients with XLH.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

To produce the first expert recommendations on HCT preparation for AYAs with XLH developed by clinical care investigators and transition experts, a formal literature search was conducted and discussed in an advisory board meeting in July 2020. A modified Delphi method was used to refine expert opinion and facilitate a consensus position.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

We identified the need for psychosocial and access-related resources for disease education, genetic counseling, family planning, and AYA emancipation from caregiver-directed care. Additionally, we recognized that it is necessary to facilitate communication with patients through channels familiar and accessible to AYAs and teach patients to advocate for their health care/access to specialists.

CONCLUSION

Clear HCT preparation guidelines and treatment-related goals are defined. Individualized timelines and practical strategies for HCT preparation are proposed to optimize health outcomes resulting from continuous clinical care throughout the patient lifecycle. We provide an expert consensus statement describing a tailored HCT preparation program specifically for AYAs with XLH to aid in the effective transfer from pediatric- to adult-focused health care.

Healthcare Transition Preparation in X-Linked Hypophosphatemia

Introduction/Background: X-linked-dominant hypophosphatemia (XLH), formally known as vitamin-D-resistant rickets, is a rare, hereditary, chronic and progressive skeletal disorder, often perceived as a childhood disease only. Its estimated prevalence is 1 in 20,000. The perception that XLH does not require treatment once the growth plates fuse means that many adolescents/young adults (AYA) are lost to follow-up and then seek care for chronic musculoskeletal symptoms, including the consequences of osteomalacia (bone pain, pseudofractures, fractures) during adulthood. There is a need to improve the healthcare transition (HCT) preparation for AYA with XLH and other rare metabolic bone disorders (MBD) to facilitate consistent and effective care throughout the life span and lessen the psychosocial and economic burden associated with these disorders.

Methods/Statement of the Problem: HCT timelines, milestones, and educational tools exist for some chronic conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease, but these programs do not meet the unique needs and nuances of patients with XLH and other rare MBD as they transfer to adult-focused healthcare. Consequently, specific tools and resources tailored by disease experts for these AYA are needed.

Results/Proposed Solution: Detailed timelines with milestones and a description of a HCT program for AYA with XLH and other rare MBD have been adapted from best practice protocols. This program reflects the specific needs of, and complexities associated with these conditions. Furthermore, this approach describes how to facilitate better communication between adult- and pediatric-focused providers and their interdisciplinary teams. Our approach is guided by patient/caregiver input and existing models for research/clinical care, with the use of validated tools to measure HCT readiness. We identified the need for psychosocial and access-related resources for AYA emancipation from parental involvement, including a guidance document for parents on how to empower their child to take ownership of the disease as they grow. In addition, it is helpful to provide disease education, genetic counselling and guidance on family planning, to encourage patients to advocate for their healthcare (as access to specialists may be limited by geographical location), and to facilitate communication/education to patients through channels familiar to and accepted by AYA (e.g. online portals, text messages). Clear HCT preparation guidelines and treatment-related goals are defined for all stakeholders. A portfolio of supporting materials underpins optimization of outcomes as AYA with XLH and rare MBD transfer from pediatric- to adult-focused healthcare.

Conclusion: Development of HCT tools/resources specific to XLH and other rare MBDs can help prevent loss to follow-up and promote continuous clinical care, thus driving better outcomes for AYA with these conditions.

Perception of Treatment Burden With Once Weekly Somatrogon vs Once Daily Genotropin in Pediatric Patients With Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD): Results From a Randomized Phase 3 Study

Background: Somatrogon is a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) comprised of the amino acid sequence of hGH and 3 copies of the carboxy-terminal peptide from human chorionic gonadotropin. Somatrogon is being developed as a once weekly subcutaneous (SC) injectable treatment for pediatric patients (pts) with GHD.

Aims: To evaluate patient and caregiver perceptions of the treatment burden associated with a once weekly somatrogon SC injection schedule compared with a once daily Genotropin SC injection schedule.

Methods: In this phase 3 (NCT03831880), open-label, crossover study, pediatric pts (3 to &lt;18 years) with GHD on at least 3 months stable rhGH therapy were randomized 1:1 to receive treatment according to 1 of 2 sequences: Sequence #1, 12 weeks of Genotropin once daily followed by 12 weeks of somatrogon once weekly; Sequence #2, 12 weeks of somatrogon once weekly followed by 12 weeks of Genotropin once daily. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate treatment burden assessed as the difference between mean overall Life Interference (LI) total scores after each 12-week treatment period of weekly somatrogon and daily Genotropin. Secondary objectives further assessed treatment experience of pts and caregivers after each treatment period and their comparison of both treatments at the end of the study. A recently developed, validated dyad questionnaire (Turner-Bowker DM et al, 2020) was administered as an electronic Patient Reported Outcome to collect all assessments.

Results: Eighty-seven pts were randomized to Sequence #1 (n=43) or Sequence #2 (n=44) with 85 pts completing the study. Somatrogon administered as a once weekly injection had a lower (statistically significant) treatment burden than Genotropin administered as a once daily injection, based on the mean overall LI total scores after somatrogon (8.63) vs Genotropin (24.13) treatment (mean difference: -15.49; two-sided 95% CI: [-19.71, -11.27]; P &lt;0.0001). Compared with once daily Genotropin, once weekly somatrogon was associated with greater convenience, higher satisfaction with treatment experience, and less life interference for the caregiver. A higher proportion of pts preferred once weekly somatrogon and demonstrated a greater intent to comply with treatment. The proportion of pts who experienced at least one treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) with Genotropin and somatrogon treatment were 44.2% and 54.0%, respectively. Injection site pain was the most common TEAE during the Genotropin (12.8%) and somatrogon (14.9%) treatment periods and was rated as mild in most cases. No severe or serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: In pediatric pts with GHD, compared with Genotropin administered once daily, somatrogon administered once weekly has a lower treatment burden as shown by less life interference, and is associated with a more favorable treatment experience.

A Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score Predicts Progression of Islet Autoimmunity and Development of Type 1 Diabetes in Individuals at Risk

OBJECTIVE

We tested the ability of a type 1 diabetes (T1D) genetic risk score (GRS) to predict progression of islet autoimmunity and T1D in at-risk individuals.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied the 1,244 TrialNet Pathway to Prevention study participants (T1D patients' relatives without diabetes and with one or more positive autoantibodies) who were genotyped with Illumina ImmunoChip (median [range] age at initial autoantibody determination 11.1 years [1.2-51.8], 48% male, 80.5% non-Hispanic white, median follow-up 5.4 years). Of 291 participants with a single positive autoantibody at screening, 157 converted to multiple autoantibody positivity and 55 developed diabetes. Of 953 participants with multiple positive autoantibodies at screening, 419 developed diabetes. We calculated the T1D GRS from 30 T1D-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms. We used multivariable Cox regression models, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves, and area under the curve (AUC) measures to evaluate prognostic utility of T1D GRS, age, sex, Diabetes Prevention Trial-Type 1 (DPT-1) Risk Score, positive autoantibody number or type, HLA DR3/DR4-DQ8 status, and race/ethnicity. We used recursive partitioning analyses to identify cut points in continuous variables.

RESULTS

Higher T1D GRS significantly increased the rate of progression to T1D adjusting for DPT-1 Risk Score, age, number of positive autoantibodies, sex, and ethnicity (hazard ratio [HR] 1.29 for a 0.05 increase, 95% CI 1.06-1.6; P = 0.011). Progression to T1D was best predicted by a combined model with GRS, number of positive autoantibodies, DPT-1 Risk Score, and age (7-year time-integrated AUC = 0.79, 5-year AUC = 0.73). Higher GRS was significantly associated with increased progression rate from single to multiple positive autoantibodies after adjusting for age, autoantibody type, ethnicity, and sex (HR 2.27 for GRS >0.295, 95% CI 1.47-3.51; P = 0.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

The T1D GRS independently predicts progression to T1D and improves prediction along T1D stages in autoantibody-positive relatives.

Acceptability and utility of the mySentry remote glucose monitoring system

BACKGROUND

The mySentry system (Medtronic Inc.) is the first to amplify and relay continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pump data to a remote site within the house. Its usability and acceptability were evaluated in families having a child with type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

Each enrolled family included a child (age 7-17 years) who used a Paradigm REAL-Time Revel sensor-augmented insulin pump (Medtronic). After a 1-week run-in phase, families set up and used the mySentry system for a 3-week study phase. Opinion surveys were completed by parents, and pump and CGM data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. No formal hypothesis testing was performed, and the study was not powered to detect changes in nocturnal glycemia.

RESULTS

Thirty-five families completed the study. Enrolled children (61.1% female) had a mean (± standard deviation) age of 11.9 ± 2.70 years and a mean age at initiation of pump therapy of 7.1 ± 3.19 years. Baseline survey results indicated that most parents were fearful of their unawareness of their children's nocturnal glucose excursions. The mySentry system met the predefined acceptability criteria for general experience, product usability, and training materials. There were no unanticipated device-related adverse effects. Among children who experienced nocturnal hypo- or hyperglycemic episodes in both phases of the study, there was a trend toward less frequent and less prolonged episodes during mySentry use.

CONCLUSION

The mySentry system met all predefined criteria for acceptability and did not demonstrate safety issues. Alerting parents to abnormal glucose values or trends may attenuate nocturnal hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia by prompting appropriate and timely intervention.

Effects of growth hormone and testosterone on cortical bone formation and bone density in aged orchiectomized rats

Osteoporosis in men is a disease that is increasing in incidence, and with an increasing elderly population it poses a serious health problem. Since both testosterone (T) and growth hormone (GH) have an anabolic effect on bone and both decrease with aging, we were prompted to test whether the administration of these hormones in combination would increase bone mass in orchiectomized (orx) senile rats more than administration of either agent alone. Twenty-month-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups with seven animals each: (a) age-matched intact control, (b) orx, (c) orx+GH (2.5 mg/kg/day), (d) orx+T [10 mg/kg, subcutaneous (s.c.), injection given twice a week], and (e) orx+GH+T. Testosterone and GH were given subcutaneously for 4 weeks. Bone histomorphometry of the tibial shaft showed that the orx group had lower cortical bone area than the intact control group. The decrease in cortical bone area was due to increased intracortical porosis as well as decreased periosteal bone formation rate (BFR). Administration of T to the orx animals prevented the development of the porosis and the decrease in periosteal BFR. The bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur as tested by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were significantly higher in the orx+T than in the orx group and were not significantly different from that of the intact control group. Administration of GH to the orx rats increased periosteal BFR significantly; however, the BMC and BMD measured were not increased significantly in comparison to the orx group. When GH and T were combined in treatment, the cortical bone area, periosteal BFR, and femoral BMD were all significantly higher than that of the orx and even higher than the intact control rats. Two-way analysis of variance shows that the individual effect of GH and T treatment on the periosteal BFR and cortical bone area was significant. The effect of T, but not GH, on femoral BMC and BMD was also significant; however, there is no synergistic interaction between the two treatments. Four weeks of orx with or without GH or T administration had no significant effect on tibial metaphyseal cancellous bone volume. In conclusion, this short-term study suggests that the combined intervention of GH and T in androgen-deficient aged male rats may have an independent effect in preventing osteopenia. The significant effect of GH+T may be attributed to the prevention of intracortical porosis, and an increase in periosteal bone formation and cortical bone mass.