What is the difference between short-acting and long-acting Jinsai growth hormone? Currently, growth hormone treatments for short stature in China include powder and solution formulations, all requiring daily administration—specifically, injections before bedtime. For children with growth hormone deficiency-related short stature, treatment must continue until their height approaches adult height and bone growth plates close. This is indeed a lengthy and challenging therapeutic process for these children.Some children fear injections and may refuse them, occasionally missing doses, which can impact treatment efficacy.
The introduction of long-acting growth hormone is welcome news for both physicians and patients. Administered just once weekly, clinical observations show its efficacy matches that of daily injections.Currently, no significant side effects have been reported. This means patients can reduce the daily discomfort of injections, and for children who board at school, it offers greater convenience—a weekly injection at home is a significant benefit and advantage. I currently have a patient who is already registered for this treatment. During a recent visit, the child expressed difficulty accepting daily injections. I informed them that the long-acting formulation will be available soon and will notify them when it's ready for dispensing.This is clearly a welcome development for parents and beneficial for patients.
What distinguishes Jinsai's short-acting from long-acting growth hormone? We participated in Phase II and III clinical trials for Jinsai Pharmaceutical's PEGylated long-acting aqueous formulation, involving approximately 100 patients.Throughout the Phase II and III trials, we observed that patients generally accepted the long-acting formulation better with higher compliance. Since it only requires one injection per week, compared to the daily evening injections of the short-acting version that can be distressing for children, the long-acting formulation clearly offers greater convenience.Additionally, we observed that for some children with growth deficiencies, the long-acting formulation at a dose of 0.2mg per kilogram of body weight demonstrated superior efficacy compared to standard short-acting formulations. These are the two key observations I made throughout the clinical trials. Therefore, I believe the long-acting formulation outperforms the short-acting one in both convenience and effectiveness.
Indeed, growth hormone is an excellent medication. However, its unique administration method—requiring daily injections—is painful for children, particularly younger ones who struggle to adhere to the regimen. It also consumes significant parental time due to the daily dosing. This makes treatment difficult for both patients and caregivers to sustain, resulting in insufficient adherence to formal long-term therapy. Consequently, the effectiveness of long-term treatment is compromised.
Long-term follow-up studies of children receiving short-acting growth hormone reveal that approximately 23% miss three or more injections per month. Over a two-year treatment period, roughly 10-15% of children miss 50% of their prescribed doses.and 50% of children did not adhere strictly to the doctor's prescription. This indicates that compliance with short-acting growth hormone therapy is insufficient and needs improvement.
What distinguishes Jinsai's short-acting from long-acting growth hormone? The advent of long-acting growth hormone represents another leap forward and a significant milestone in growth hormone therapy, offering a blessing for many children. It allows numerous children to reduce injection frequency and associated discomfort while easing parental burdens. Additionally, boarding school children who previously missed treatment opportunities due to injection inconvenience can now benefit.With the availability of long-acting formulations, these children can now receive treatment. Furthermore, younger children can tolerate long-acting growth hormone, meaning the introduction of this long-acting solution will undoubtedly enable more children with short stature to access treatment and fulfill their dreams of growing taller.