Needle-free and needle-based growth hormone therapy in children

\(\bf Background:\) Treatment with growth hormone (GH) is standard clinical practice in children with GH deficiency (GHD) or Turner syndrome (TS). Hitherto, no long-term data on auxological outcome and safety of Zomacton® have been published. Data comparing needle-free administration (NF) and needle injection (NI) of GH are very sparse. \(\bf Aims:\) To analyse longitudinal auxological outcome and safety data of GH treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with GHD or TS and to compare NF and NI in a real-life setting. \(\bf Methods:\) Pooled auxological data and safety information from three consecutive prospective observational Zomacton® studies covering 22 years of treatment were analysed and NF was compared to NI. \(\bf Results:\) The safety cohort comprised 1,595 patients who received at least one GH dose. The auxological outcome cohort comprised 856 treatment-naïve patients with follow-up data \(\geq\) 12 months. Height-SDS and height velocity improved significantly during the first 3 years of treatment. Documented choice of device was available for 658 patients (NF 69.1%, NI 30.9%). NF administration was non-inferior to NI. No previously unknown safety signals occurred. \(\bf Conclusion:\) Real-life data show that treatment with Zomacton® improves auxological outcome parameters without new safety concerns. NF administration of GH represents a useful alternative to NI in children with growth disorders.