Study of Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Analog (LHRHa) in Pubertal Patients With Extreme Short Stature
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2001-10-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Children with extreme short stature (height) and their families often experience significant
psychological stress related to concerns about adult height. In addition, short stature often
results in life-long emotional, social, and physical obstacles to the affected person.
Normal growth occurs in two phases. The first phase, known as childhood growth, occurs below
the age of 10. The second phase of growth, teen-age or adolescent growth, begins between the
ages of 10 and 15. In addition, puberty marks the time when the bone's growth plates
(epiphysis) begin to close, initiating the completion of linear growth (height).
Some children suffer from a condition called precocious puberty, meaning that puberty begins
at a younger age than normal. The development of medications known as synthetic LHRH analogs
have provided a method to delay puberty and treat these patients.
LHRHa (deslorelin) is a hormone created to act like naturally occurring LHRH. It been used in
patient's diagnosed with precocious (early onset) puberty. The drugs were able to regress
patient's clinical signs of puberty, decrease the levels of adult sex hormones produced, and
slow the rate of bone aging.
Phase:
Phase 2
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)