This SR highlights the lack of long-term RCTs reporting final height data and other important qualitative outcomes , such as quality of life .
ABSTRACT Genotropin ( somatropin ) is licensed for the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency , Prader-Willi syndrome , Turner syndrome , chronic renal insufficiency and in children born small for gestational age .
This systematic review ( SR ) evaluated the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of Genotropin in these conditions to inform a NICE Technology Appraisal of growth hormone for the treatment of growth failure in children .
Recombinant human growth hormone in short children born small for gestational age. German Study Group.
The effects of recombinant human growth hormone ( rhGH ) treatment in 69 prepubertal , non-GH deficient children born small for gestational age ( SGA ) were evaluated over 2 years . At start of the study mean age was 5.1 years , mean bone age was 3.8 years and mean height SDS was -4.0 . The children were r and omly allocated to 3 groups receiving no treatment or daily subcutaneous injections of rhGH at a dose of 0.1 IU/kg body weight ( group 0.1 IU ) or 0.2 IU/kg body weight ( group 0.2 IU ) . At start of the study mean height velocity SDS was -1.4 in the control group , -0.7 in group 0.1 IU and -1.4 in group 0.2 IU . After 2 years there was a significant increase in height velocity SDS in children treated with rhGH as compared to untreated children . Mean height velocity SDS after the first year of treatment was -1.2 in the control group , 2.8 in group 0.1 IU and 5.5 in group 0.2 IU . Corresponding values during the second year were -0.9 , 1.6 and 2.9 . A statistically significant difference was observed between the groups receiving 0.1 IU/kg/day and 0.2 IU/kg/day during the first year of treatment , whereas no difference between the treatment groups was found during the second year . Catch-up growth , i.e. a height velocity 1 SD above the mean , was achieved for 86 % of group 0.1 IU and 95 % of group 0.2 IU during the first year of treatment and was maintained for 65 % and 79 % of the patients in group 0.1 IU and 0.2 IU respectively in the second year . GH treatment was associated with a distinct acceleration of bone age . Tolerance of treatment was good . No clear trends were seen in any of the laboratory variables . In conclusion , this study shows that daily rhGH given at a dose of 0.1 - 0.2 IU/kg/day for 24 months is an effective and safe therapy to increase linear growth and induce catch-up growth in short SGA children
This SR highlights the lack of long-term RCTs reporting final height data and other important qualitative outcomes , such as quality of life .
ABSTRACT Genotropin ( somatropin ) is licensed for the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency , Prader-Willi syndrome , Turner syndrome , chronic renal insufficiency and in children born small for gestational age .
This systematic review ( SR ) evaluated the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of Genotropin in these conditions to inform a NICE Technology Appraisal of growth hormone for the treatment of growth failure in children .