Once-weekly somapacitan enhances linear growth in girls with Turner syndrome: a randomized controlled phase 3 study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: CONTEXT: Daily GH injections promote growth in girls with Turner syndrome (TS), but treatment burden is considerable. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate 52-week efficacy and safety of once-weekly somapacitan, a long-acting GH, in girls with TS. DESIGN: REAL8 (NCT05330325) is a randomized, open-labelled, active-comparator, phase 3 basket study with a 52-week main phase and a 104-week extension. SETTING: The study was conducted at 49 clinics in 18 countries worldwide. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 105 treatment-naïve, prepubertal girls with TS (aged 2.5-10 years), were randomized and exposed. No participants discontinued trial product due to adverse events. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were assigned 2:1 to somapacitan, 0.24 mg/kg/week, or daily GH 0.050 mg/kg/day, administered subcutaneously. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was height velocity (HV; cm/year) at week 52. RESULTS: Non-inferiority for once-weekly somapacitan vs. daily GH for the primary endpoint, HV at week 52, was confirmed. At week 52, mean observed HV was 9.0 (1.6) vs. 9.5 (2.2) cm/year for somapacitan and daily GH, respectively (ETD = -0.8 [-1.57; -0.11]95%CI). IGF-I SD score (SDS) increased in both groups. At week 52, mean (SD) IGF-I SDS was +1.71 (1.38) vs. + 1.95 (1.11) for somapacitan and daily GH, respectively. Safety profiles were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Once-weekly somapacitan showed non-inferiority and is comparable to daily GH after 52 weeks of treatment in enhancing linear growth while maintaining IGF-I concentrations within a similar range in treatment-naïve girls with TS. Similar safety profiles and tolerability were observed for both groups.
Institutions: Nemours Children's Health System, Nemours Children's Clinic, University of Bern, University Hospital of Bern, Novo Nordisk (Denmark), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, National Center For Child Health and Development, Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Bicêtre Hospital, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, University of Manchester, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
Funder: Novo Nordisk
OpenAlex ID: W7172118898
