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An Open-label Phase 4 Study to Explore Immunogenicity of the Liquid Formulation of Saizen® in Subjects With Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD)

Open-label, Single-arm, Phase IV, Multicenter Trial to Explore the Immunogenicity of the Liquid Formulation of Saizen® in Subjects With Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD)

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01806298
Enrollment
78
Registered
2013-03-07
Start date
2013-06-30
Completion date
2016-03-31
Last updated
2017-12-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency

Keywords

Adult Growth hormone deficiency, Saizen®, Recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH), Somatropin

Brief summary

This is an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, Phase 4 study to explore the immunogenicity of the liquid formulation of Saizen® in subjects with Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD), who are growth hormone (GH) treatment-naïve or who had prior GH treatment for GHD which was stopped at least 1 month prior to Screening and have no contraindication to the use of GH.

Interventions

DRUGSaizen® solution for injection (referred as Saizen®)

Saizen® solution for injection will be administered subcutaneously daily for 39 weeks according to locally approved product labeling for the currently marketed formulation of Saizen®.

Sponsors

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Male and female subjects, 18-65 years of age, inclusive, at the time of signature of informed consent * Documented AGHD i.e. childhood onset (CO) or adult onset (AO), either by a stimulation test as described in the GH Research Society's 2007 guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of AGHD, or in the Saizen® label, whichever is more stringent, or by confirming the presence of at least 3 pituitary hormone deficiencies and an IGF-1 level below the reference range of the laboratory where testing is performed. Stimulation test as described in the 2007 GH Research Society guidelines and applicable to all subjects who underwent or will undergo a stimulation test: * Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT) or glucagon stimulation test: Peak GH less than 3 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL); * GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) plus arginine test, peak GH depends on body mass index (BMI): * BMI less than 25 kilogram per square meter (kg/m\^2) indicates a peak GH less than 11 ng/mL microgram per liter \[mcg/L\]). * BMI 25-30 kg/m\^2 indicates a peak GH less than 8 ng/mL (mcgg/L). * BMI greater than 30 kg/m\^2 indicates a peak GH less than 4 ng/mL (mcg/L). Clonidine, l-dopa, and arginine alone are not acceptable as stimulation tests for determining eligibility in this trial. Stimulation tests remain under the Investigator's or the subject's physician's responsibility, including the selection of the GH assay. Saizen® label: in Europe, only one single test is required; in Australia, 2 stimulation tests showing a peak GH less than 2.5 ng/mL are required. The inclusion criteria were chosen based on the approved label for Saizen® in the countries where the trial is being implemented, as well as in respect of the most current international guidelines for AGHD. There is no limit in time prior to the Screening visit for the stimulation test(s), as long as documentation is available and the stimulation tests comply with the GH Research Society 2007 guidelines, and as such, there is no need to repeat the test for subjects having stopped their GH therapy prior to the Screening visit. No stimulation test is required for subjects with 3 or more pituitary hormone deficiencies * GH treatment-naïve or prior GH treatment for AGHD stopped at least 1 month prior to Screening visit. Whereas any prior use of GH is permitted, providing an adequate wash-out period is respected to secure the interpretation of the biomarkers, the reason for stopping the GH therapy should neither be safety- nor efficacy-related, and documentation should be present in the source information * Negative BAbs from the Screening visit sample * Body mass index (BMI, Weight in kilograms / Height in square meters) measured at Screening visit as less than or equal to 35 kilogram per square meter (kg/m\^2) * Negative serum pregnancy test at the Screening for women of childbearing potential and subject is not lactating * Understanding and willingness of the subject to comply with the procedures of the study * Informed Consent form signed prior to the performance of any trial-related activities

Exclusion criteria

* Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the Saizen® excipients * Evidence of growing intracranial tumor including pituitary tumor, or affecting the optic chiasm, or requiring treatment (surgery or radiation) within the 6 months prior to and the 12 months after the Screening visit * Presence of active malignancy, neoplasia or any evidence of progression or recurrence of an underlying tumor. In case of a history of neoplasia or any pre-existing malignancy, the tumor must be inactive and anti-tumor therapy completed prior to starting trial on active Saizen® therapy. * Proliferative or pre-proliferative diabetic retinopathy * Evidence of chronic underlying disease within 6 months prior to the Screening visit or concomitant medication that would interfere with subject compliance, the evaluation of trial results, or compromise the safety of the subject * Severe hepatic or renal failure that could compromise the interpretation of IGF-1, that is: Alanine transaminase \[ALT\] or aspartate transaminase \[AST\] greater than 3 \* upper limit of the normal range; Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 30 milliliter per minute (mL/min) Note: GFR will be calculated by the laboratory according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation * History of anti-GH antibodies * History or presence of an autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto's disease or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), immunosuppression regardless of etiology, or GH1 gene defect * Absence of effective contraception in place at the Screening visit in women of childbearing potential. Acceptable forms of effective contraception include: established use of oral (greater than 2 months), injected, or implanted hormonal methods of contraception, intrauterine devices (IUD), or barrier methods of contraception, specifically, condom or occlusive cap (diaphragm or cervical/vault caps) with spermicidal foam/gel/film/cream/suppository * Diabetes mellitus (per American Diabetes Association 2010 guidelines): either i) standard diabetes symptoms and a random glucose greater than or equal to 200 milligram per deciliter (mg/dL) (11.1 millimolar per liter \[mmol/L\]); ii) a fasting plasma glucose greater than 126 mg/dL (6.99 mmol/L); iii) a 2-hour plasma glucose greater than or equal to 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); or iv) an glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) greater than or equal to 6.5 percent * Concomitant or prior participation in an interventional trial within 30 days prior to the Screening visit * Known alcohol or drug addiction/dependency * Has a legal incapacity or limited legal capacity * Has received anabolic steroids (except for gonadal steroid replacement therapy) or systemic corticosteroids (except for replacement doses) within 3 months prior to the Screening visit * Has received substitutive therapy with glucocorticosteroids, thyroid replacement, vasopressin, or sex hormones for less than 3 months or substitutive therapy has not been stable (that is, dose was not generally constant or medical condition was not controlled) for 3 months prior to Screening

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of Subjects Developing Binding Antibodies (BAbs) to Saizen®Baseline up to Week 39Percentage of subjects developing BAbs = (Number of BAb positive subjects / Total number of subjects) x 100.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of Subjects With Binding Antibodies (BAbs) Who Became Positive for Neutralizing Antibodies (NAbs)Baseline up to Week 39Percentage of subjects with BAbs who become positive for NAbs = (Number of NAb positive subjects / Number of BAbs positive subjects) x 100
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsBaseline, Week 2, 8, 16, 29, 39 and 41Growth Hormone (GH) biomarker levels were summarized by GH treatment status at study entry (that is subjects were classified as GH treatment-naïve subjects or subjects with prior GH treatment for adult growth hormone deficiency \[AGHD\]).
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Baseline, Week 2, 8, 16, 29, 39 and 41Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 SDS was calculated based on the actual value of IGF-1 minus reference value of IGF-1 divided by reference standard deviation of IGF-1. SDS indicated how many standard deviations higher (in case of positive SDS) or lower (in case of negative SDS) a subject's value was relative to the mean of the reference population. The scores were centered around zero. Negative score indicated that the IGF-I value was lower compared to the reference population.
Treatment Adherence Rate as Documented Using EasypodTM ConnectWeek 2, 8, 16, 29 and 39Treatment adherence rate was measured by: (total dose received divided by total dose prescribed) multiplied by 100. Saizen solution for injection was administered using the easypod device and treatment adherence information was obtained from the device using the easypod connect software.
Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsBaseline, Week 2, 8, 16, 29, 39 and 41Growth Hormone (GH) biomarker levels were summarized by GH treatment status at study entry (that is subjects were classified as GH treatment-naïve subjects or subjects with prior GH treatment for adult growth hormone deficiency \[AGHD\])

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Subjects With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Serious TEAEs, TEAEs Leading to Death, TEAEs Leading to DiscontinuationBaseline up to Week 41An adverse event (AE) was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a subject which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the study drug. An AE was defined as any unfavourable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of study drug, whether or not considered related to the study drug or worsening of pre-existing medical condition, whether or not related to study drug. A serious adverse event (SAE) was an AE that resulted in any of the following outcomes: death; life threatening; persistent/significant disability/incapacity; initial or prolonged inpatient hospitalization; congenital anomaly/birth defect or was otherwise considered medically important. TEAEs are those events with onset dates occurring during the on-treatment period or if the worsening of an event is during the on-treatment period. TEAEs include both Serious TEAEs and non-serious TEAEs.

Countries

Australia, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Saizen®
Saizen® solution for injection was administered subcutaneously once daily for 39 weeks according to locally approved product labeling for the currently marketed formulation of Saizen®.
78
Total78

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Overall StudyAdverse Event3
Overall StudyOther5
Overall StudyProtocol Non-compliance1
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject1

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicSaizen®
Age, Continuous44.5 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.61
Sex: Female, Male
Female
30 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
48 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
65 / 78
serious
Total, serious adverse events
4 / 78

Outcome results

Primary

Percentage of Subjects Developing Binding Antibodies (BAbs) to Saizen®

Percentage of subjects developing BAbs = (Number of BAb positive subjects / Total number of subjects) x 100.

Time frame: Baseline up to Week 39

Population: The modified Intent-To-Treat (mITT) analysis set included all treated subjects who had received at least 1 administration of Saizen® and had at least 1 post-baseline BAbs assessment.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Saizen®Percentage of Subjects Developing Binding Antibodies (BAbs) to Saizen®0 percentage of subjects
Secondary

Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) Levels

Growth Hormone (GH) biomarker levels were summarized by GH treatment status at study entry (that is subjects were classified as GH treatment-naïve subjects or subjects with prior GH treatment for adult growth hormone deficiency \[AGHD\])

Time frame: Baseline, Week 2, 8, 16, 29, 39 and 41

Population: The safety analysis set included all treated subjects who had received at least 1 administration of Saizen®. Here, Number Analyzed signifies those subjects who were evaluable for the specified category at each time point.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 393.03 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.853
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 412.91 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.758
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Baseline2.62 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.843
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment : Baseline2.20 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.68
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 23.03 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.872
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 22.85 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.981
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 83.11 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.831
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 82.77 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.795
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 163.15 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.746
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 162.93 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.746
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 293.36 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.737
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 293.22 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.903
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 393.45 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.938
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 412.63 milligram/liter (mg/L)Standard Deviation 0.786
Secondary

Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) Levels

Growth Hormone (GH) biomarker levels were summarized by GH treatment status at study entry (that is subjects were classified as GH treatment-naïve subjects or subjects with prior GH treatment for adult growth hormone deficiency \[AGHD\]).

Time frame: Baseline, Week 2, 8, 16, 29, 39 and 41

Population: The safety analysis set included all treated subjects who had received at least 1 administration of Saizen®. Here, Number Analyzed signifies those subjects who were evaluable for the specified category at each time point.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Baseline14.54 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 7.219
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment : Baseline10.91 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 4.744
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 221.15 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 9.008
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 219.41 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 5.804
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 3920.56 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 8.486
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 4115.28 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 6.943
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 4112.12 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 4.91
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 823.41 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 9.07
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 820.91 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 5.437
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 1622.34 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 6.844
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 1620.15 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 7.381
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 2925.07 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 8.026
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsPreviously took GH treatment: Week 2920.90 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 6.81
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) LevelsGH Treatment-naive: Week 3923.82 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)Standard Deviation 7.961
Secondary

Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)

Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 SDS was calculated based on the actual value of IGF-1 minus reference value of IGF-1 divided by reference standard deviation of IGF-1. SDS indicated how many standard deviations higher (in case of positive SDS) or lower (in case of negative SDS) a subject's value was relative to the mean of the reference population. The scores were centered around zero. Negative score indicated that the IGF-I value was lower compared to the reference population.

Time frame: Baseline, Week 2, 8, 16, 29, 39 and 41

Population: The safety analysis set included all treated subjects who had received at least 1 administration of Saizen®. Here, Number Analyzed signifies those subjects who were evaluable for the specified category at each time point.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Baseline-3.27 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.816
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment : Baseline-3.67 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 1.223
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Week 2-3.10 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.775
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment: Week 2-3.46 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 1.14
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Week 8-3.05 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.769
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment: Week 8-3.16 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.697
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Week 16-3.09 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.799
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment: Week 16-3.17 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.652
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Week 29-3.01 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.773
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment: Week 29-3.17 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.713
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Week 39-3.02 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.78
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment: Week 39-3.44 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 1.29
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)GH Treatment-naive: Week 41-3.23 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.83
Saizen®Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Standard Deviation Score (IGF-I SDS)Previously took GH treatment: Week 41-3.31 Standard deviation scoreStandard Deviation 0.69
Secondary

Percentage of Subjects With Binding Antibodies (BAbs) Who Became Positive for Neutralizing Antibodies (NAbs)

Percentage of subjects with BAbs who become positive for NAbs = (Number of NAb positive subjects / Number of BAbs positive subjects) x 100

Time frame: Baseline up to Week 39

Population: Data could not be analyzed as there were no subjects who were BAb positive.

Secondary

Treatment Adherence Rate as Documented Using EasypodTM Connect

Treatment adherence rate was measured by: (total dose received divided by total dose prescribed) multiplied by 100. Saizen solution for injection was administered using the easypod device and treatment adherence information was obtained from the device using the easypod connect software.

Time frame: Week 2, 8, 16, 29 and 39

Population: The safety analysis set included all treated subjects who had received at least 1 administration of Saizen®. Here, Number Analyzed signifies those subjects who were evaluable for the specified category at each time point.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Saizen®Treatment Adherence Rate as Documented Using EasypodTM Connect89.3 percentage of treatment adherenceStandard Deviation 13.35
Other Pre-specified

Number of Subjects With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Serious TEAEs, TEAEs Leading to Death, TEAEs Leading to Discontinuation

An adverse event (AE) was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a subject which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the study drug. An AE was defined as any unfavourable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of study drug, whether or not considered related to the study drug or worsening of pre-existing medical condition, whether or not related to study drug. A serious adverse event (SAE) was an AE that resulted in any of the following outcomes: death; life threatening; persistent/significant disability/incapacity; initial or prolonged inpatient hospitalization; congenital anomaly/birth defect or was otherwise considered medically important. TEAEs are those events with onset dates occurring during the on-treatment period or if the worsening of an event is during the on-treatment period. TEAEs include both Serious TEAEs and non-serious TEAEs.

Time frame: Baseline up to Week 41

Population: The safety analysis set included all treated subjects who had received at least 1 administration of Saizen®.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Saizen®Number of Subjects With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Serious TEAEs, TEAEs Leading to Death, TEAEs Leading to DiscontinuationTEAEs72 Participants
Saizen®Number of Subjects With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Serious TEAEs, TEAEs Leading to Death, TEAEs Leading to DiscontinuationSerious TEAEs4 Participants
Saizen®Number of Subjects With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Serious TEAEs, TEAEs Leading to Death, TEAEs Leading to DiscontinuationTEAEs Leading to Death0 Participants
Saizen®Number of Subjects With Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Serious TEAEs, TEAEs Leading to Death, TEAEs Leading to DiscontinuationTEAEs Leading to Discontinuation4 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026