A pharmacological profile of somapacitan for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency

Introduction: Long-acting growth hormone (LAGH) preparations have been developed to reduce the burden of daily injections and improve compliance in children and adults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Somapacitan is the only LAGH approved for both pediatric and adult GHD that has been in the market for nearly 2 years for these indications. It has now up to 4 years of follow up data from pediatric clinical trials. Areas covered: In this article, we will review the rationale for developing somapacitan and other LAGH, the pharmacologic characteristics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of somapacitan. We will summarize the clinical trial results of safety, efficacy, and adherence of somapacitan in comparison to daily growth hormone (GH) in both adults and children. We will also provide practical recommendations on the initiation and monitoring of somapacitan, and discuss potential future uses of this LAGH. Expert opinion: Continued somapacitan therapy in clinical trials in children with GHD has shown ongoing catch-up growth while having a similar safety profile to daily growth hormone. However, it will be important to capture real world data demonstrating ongoing safety, efficacy, and adherence in children and adults receiving somapacitan and other LAGH therapies.