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Letrozole Step up Protocol for Ovulation Induction in Infertile Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Letrozole Step up Compared to Conventional Protocol for Ovulation Induction in Infertile Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07143682
Enrollment
70
Registered
2025-08-27
Start date
2023-01-08
Completion date
2024-06-30
Last updated
2025-12-16

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

Conditions

Infertility, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Keywords

Polycystic ovary syndrome, letrozole, ovulation induction

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if drug letrozole in step up dose works better to treat anovulation in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome. It will also learn about the safety of drug letrozole in step up dose. The main Questions it aims to answer are: * Does drug letrozole in step up dose result in better ovarian response? * What medical problems do participants have when taking drug letrozole in step up dose? Researchers will compare drug letrozole step up dose to a standard low dose to see if the step up dose works to achieve better ovarian response. Participants will: * Take drug letrozole step up or standard low dose from day 2 of menstruation for 3 cycles * Visit the clinic on day 12-16 of menstural cycle for checkups and tests * Keep a diary of any untoward symptoms

Detailed description

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the largest single cause of anovulatory infertility. Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, has been regarded as the first-line drug for ovulation induction in PCOS patients. The conventional protocol of letrozole includes the administration of a fixed dose of letrozole (2.5 -7.5 mg) for 5 days. Few recent studies have shown that the step-up letrozole protocol causes more follicles to grow, induces more ovulation, and increases the pregnancy rate. This study aimed to compare the effect of the letrozole step-up and conventional fixed-dose protocol for ovulation induction in infertile women with PCOS. Methods: This open-label randomized controlled study was conducted on a total of 70 infertile PCOS women eligible for ovulation induction. Treatment with letrozole started from day 2-3 of menstruation or withdrawal bleeding. They were randomly allocated into two groups. The experimental group (n=35) was given step-up letrozole, one (2.5 mg), two (5 mg), three (7.5 mg), and four (10 mg) tablets, single dose sequentially for 4 days. The comparator group (n=35) received conventional fixed-dose letrozole, two (5mg) tablets daily for 5 days. The outcome variables were the number of participants having a mature follicle by day 12-16 of the cycle and the number of mature follicles on the day of trigger.

Interventions

DRUGLetrozol step up dose

Tablet letrozole 2.5mg one, two, three, and four tablets once daily from 2nd/3rd day of the menstrual cycle for 4 days

DRUGConventional fixed dose letrozole

Tab letrozole 5mg once daily for 5 days started from the 2nd/3rd day of the menstrual cycle

Sponsors

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* PCOS women with subfertility * Selected for ovulation induction

Exclusion criteria

* Body mass index (BMI) ˂18 and ≥30 kg/m2, * Women with other infertility factors (endometriosis, suspected tubal factor, and uterine causes of infertility) * Male factor infertility

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The number of participants having mature follicle (mean diameter ≥18mm)3 monthsThe number of participants having mature follicle (mean diameter ≥18mm) on day 12 to 16 of the cycle
The number of participants having adequate endometrial thickness ( 7mm or more)3 monthsThe number of participants having adequate endometrial thickness ( 7mm or more) on the day of trigger

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Pregnancy4 months

Countries

Bangladesh

Outcome results

None listed

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