Research AppraisalRandomised Controlled Trial

Efficacy and Safety of Once-Weekly Lonapegsomatropin in Adults With Growth Hormone Deficiency: foresiGHt Trial Results

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolismBiller, Beverly M K, Gilis-Januszewska, Aleksandra, Doknic, Mirjana et al.19 May 2026DOI

Clinical Snapshot

60CEBM
Evidence: ModerateRandomised Controlled Trial

PICO Framework

P — PopulationAdults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD)
I — InterventionOnce-weekly lonapegsomatropin
C — ComparatorOnce-weekly placebo and daily somatropin (active control)
O — OutcomesPrimary: change in trunk percent fat at 38 weeks. Secondary: trunk fat mass and total body lean mass changes

Bottom Line

The foresiGHt trial demonstrates that once-weekly lonapegsomatropin effectively improves body composition in adults with growth hormone deficiency, showing superior trunk fat reduction and lean mass gains compared to placebo over 38 weeks. While the results are statistically significant and clinically meaningful, the study's mixed blinding approach and limited safety reporting in this abstract warrant cautious interpretation. The convenience of weekly versus daily dosing represents a potential advance for patient adherence, but comprehensive safety data, quality of life outcomes, and cost-effectiveness analysis are needed before widespread clinical adoption. Australian clinicians should await full publication and regulatory assessment before considering this as an alternative to established daily somatropin therapy.

Evidence: Moderate

Key Findings

  • P Value: P < 0.001 for primary outcome

  • Effect Size: Least squares mean difference -2.04% trunk fat reduction

  • Primary Outcome: Trunk percent fat reduction: -1.68% vs +0.37% (placebo)

  • Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data

  • Confidence Interval: Not reported in abstract

Clinical Application

Once-weekly dosing may improve adherence compared to daily injections, though cost and PBS listing considerations apply Would require TGA approval and PBS evaluation. Current PBS covers daily somatropin for adult GHD under specific criteria. Weekly dosing could reduce injection burden but cost-effectiveness needs assessment Adults with confirmed growth hormone deficiency requiring hormone replacement therapy

Abstract

CONTEXT: Adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) is characterized by metabolic abnormalities caused by insufficient GH production. Lonapegsomatropin, a prodrug administered once weekly, was designed to provide sustained release of unmodified somatropin to reduce the burden of daily somatropin injections. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lonapegsomatropin vs placebo as treatment for adults with GHD. METHODS: The foresiGHt trial was a multicenter, randomized, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled (double-blind) and active-controlled (open-label) trial (NCT04615273) conducted at 116 centers in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The trial randomly assigned and dosed 259 adults with GHD. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive once-weekly lonapegsomatropin, once-weekly placebo, or daily somatropin for 38 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was change from baseline in trunk percent fat at week 38. Secondary efficacy end points included change from baseline in trunk fat mass and total body lean mass. RESULTS: At week 38, lonapegsomatropin significantly reduced trunk percent fat (-1.68% vs +0.37%; least squares [LS] mean difference -2.04%; P < .001), increased total body lean mass (+1.60 kg vs -0.11 kg; LS mean difference 1.70 kg; P < .0001), and reduced trunk fat mass (-0.48 kg vs +0.22 kg; LS mean difference -0.70 kg; P = .0053) vs placebo. The safety and tolerability profile of lonapegsomatropin was comparable to somatropin. CONCLUSION: The foresiGHt trial met its primary efficacy end point by demonstrating superiority of lonapegsomatropin vs placebo with similar safety and tolerability, supporting its potential as a once-weekly treatment option for adults with GHD.

References

  1. 1.Biller, B. M. K., Gilis-Januszewska, A., Doknic, M., Pico, A. M., Fleseriu, M., Raverot, G., Isidori, A. M., Takahashi, Y., Garcia, J. M., Silverstein, J. M., Bancos, I., Fukuoka, H., Huang, E., Kang, J., Komirenko, A. S., Domrzalski, L., Shu, A. D., Beckert, M., & Yuen, K. C. J. (2026). Efficacy and Safety of Once-Weekly Lonapegsomatropin in Adults With Growth Hormone Deficiency: foresiGHt Trial Results. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf680
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