ObesityPhase 2NCT01169103
Effect of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH) on Abdominal Fat and Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Girls
A Phase 2 study testing recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in people with Obesity, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Teenagers and adults who are overweight or obese have an increase in fat in the abdomen, which increases their risk for diabetes and heart disease. Reducing abdominal fat is important to reduce risk for diabetes and for heart disease. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 21 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity
- What is being tested?
- recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 22 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Mar 2010to Dec 2014
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 13 to 21 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Adolescent girls 13-21 years old with bone age ≥ 14 years
- Overweight girls: Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than the 95th percentile for age
- Waist/Hip ratio ≥ 0.85
- Insulin Like Growth Factor -1 (IGF-1) below -0.5 standard deviations (SD) for pubertal stage or age
Who cannot join
- Pregnancy (positive pregnancy test) prior to enrollment in the study
- Significant weight gain or loss within 3 months of study (more than 5 kg)
- Use of medications that affect GH or cortisol levels (such as estrogen including oral contraceptive pills, oral glucocorticoids)
- Use of medications such as Meridian and Orlistat
- Presence of diabetes mellitus
- Uncontrolled Thyroid disorders
Show all 12Show fewer
- Chronic renal insufficiency
- Participation in another simultaneous medical investigation or trial
- Active neoplasm or history of cancer
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- History of scoliosis if bone age is <15 years
- Hypersensitivity to rhGH or constituents of the injections
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
About this study
Official title: Effect of rhGH Administration on Visceral Adiposity and Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Adolescent Girls: Phase 2
Teenagers and adults who are overweight or obese have an increase in fat in the abdomen, which increases their risk for diabetes and heart disease. Reducing abdominal fat is important to reduce risk for diabetes and for heart disease. Overweight teenagers also have low levels of growth hormone compared to normal weight teenagers, and teenagers with the lowest growth hormone levels also have the greatest abdominal fat. In children who are unable to make growth hormone for other reasons, giving back growth hormone leads to a decrease in abdominal fat. We are studying whether giving growth hormone in small doses to overweight teenagers can change body composition. We hypothesize that growth hormone will cause abdominal fat to decrease and reduce the risk markers for diabetes and heart disease.
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Being tested
- recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), Placebo
- Keywords
- Obesity, Adolescent, Insulin resistance, Growth hormone, Visceral fat, Adolescent obesity
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Pediatric Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)Drug
Initial rhGH dose 0.4mg administered by subcutaneous injection daily. Dose will be increased to 0.6 mg after one week and then increased to 0.8mg after two weeks.
PlaceboDrug
Placebo will be administered by daily subcutaneous injections. Sham increases will be used.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| recombinant human growth hormone | Experimental | Forty subjects will be randomized to receive either recombinant human growth hormone or placebo. Receives: Drug: recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Forty subjects will be randomized to receive either recombinant human growth hormone or placebo. Receives: Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Visceral and Subcutaneous Abdominal Adipose Tissue Over 6 Months
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed using single slice MR imaging (MRI)
Measured: Baseline and 6 months
Changes in Lipid Panel
Lipid profile will be obtained using established methods. Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL and HDL measurements will be obtained at baseline, and then at the six-month visits to determine the rate at which lipid measures change with rhGH therapy
Measured: Baseline and 6 months
Change in High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (Hs-CRP) Over 6 Months
As a marker of cardiovascular risk, hs-CRP will be assessed at baseline and 6 months to assess the rate at which hs-CRP levels change with rhGH therapy.
Measured: Baseline and 6 months
Change in Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (sICAM) Over 6 Months
Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM) was used as a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk
Measured: Baseline and 6 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) Score
Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used as a validated measure of insulin resistance. A 2-hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) using 1.75 gram/kilogram of oral glucose (maximum 75 gram) will be performed at baseline and six months after administration of rhGH/placebo/ no therapy. Fasting insulin and glucose will be used to determine HOMA-IR: [fasting glucose (mmol/l) x fasting insulin (µU/ml)]/22.5]
Measured: Baseline and 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Jul 2010 (estimated)
- Study startMar 2010
- Primary completionApr 2013
- Study completionDec 2014
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ObesityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Genentech, Inc.
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Madhusmita Misra, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Madhusmita Misra, MD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01169103
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2009P000861
- Status last verified
- Oct 2021
- First submitted
- 22 Jul 2010
- Last updated
- 2 Nov 2021
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Publications
Slattery M, Bredella MA, Stanley T, Torriani M, Misra M. Effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration on body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in obese adolescent girls. Int J Pediatr Endocrinol. 2014;2014(1):22. doi: 10.1186/1687-9856-2014-22. Epub 2014 Nov 15.
PubMed 25435886Slattery MJ, Bredella MA, Thakur H, Torriani M, Misra M. Insulin resistance and impaired mitochondrial function in obese adolescent girls. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2014 Feb;12(1):56-61. doi: 10.1089/met.2013.0100. Epub 2013 Nov 19.
PubMed 24251951
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Nov 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of rhGH Administration on Visceral Adiposity and Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Adolescent Girls: Phase 2
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01169103
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2009P000861
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Keywords
- Obesity, Adolescent, Insulin resistance, Growth hormone, Visceral fat, Adolescent obesity
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Genentech, Inc.
- Study start
- Mar 2010
- Primary completion
- Apr 2013 (actual)
- Study completion
- Dec 2014 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Jul 2010 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 21 Jul 2014
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Teenagers and adults who are overweight or obese have an increase in fat in the abdomen, which increases their risk for diabetes and heart disease. Reducing abdominal fat is important to reduce risk for diabetes and for heart disease. Overweight teenagers also have low levels of growth hormone compared to normal weight teenagers, and teenagers with the lowest growth hormone levels also have the greatest abdominal fat. In children who are unable to make growth hormone for other reasons, giving back growth hormone leads to a decrease in abdominal fat. We are studying whether giving growth hormone in small doses to overweight teenagers can change body composition. We hypothesize that growth hormone will cause abdominal fat to decrease and reduce the risk markers for diabetes and heart disease.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| recombinant human growth hormone | Experimental | Drug: recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)Forty subjects will be randomized to receive either recombinant human growth hormone or placebo. |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: PlaceboForty subjects will be randomized to receive either recombinant human growth hormone or placebo. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 21 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adolescent girls 13-21 years old with bone age ≥ 14 years
- Overweight girls: Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than the 95th percentile for age
- Waist/Hip ratio ≥ 0.85
- Insulin Like Growth Factor -1 (IGF-1) below -0.5 standard deviations (SD) for pubertal stage or age
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Pregnancy (positive pregnancy test) prior to enrollment in the study
- Significant weight gain or loss within 3 months of study (more than 5 kg)
- Use of medications that affect GH or cortisol levels (such as estrogen including oral contraceptive pills, oral glucocorticoids)
- Use of medications such as Meridian and Orlistat
- Presence of diabetes mellitus
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)Initial rhGH dose 0.4mg administered by subcutaneous injection daily. Dose will be increased to 0.6 mg after one week and then increased to 0.8mg after two weeks. | Drug | recombinant human growth hormone |
| PlaceboPlacebo will be administered by daily subcutaneous injections. Sham increases will be used. | Drug | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Change in Visceral and Subcutaneous Abdominal Adipose Tissue Over 6 Months
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed using single slice MR imaging (MRI)
Changes in Lipid Panel
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Lipid profile will be obtained using established methods. Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL and HDL measurements will be obtained at baseline, and then at the six-month visits to determine the rate at which lipid measures change with rhGH therapy
Change in High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (Hs-CRP) Over 6 Months
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
As a marker of cardiovascular risk, hs-CRP will be assessed at baseline and 6 months to assess the rate at which hs-CRP levels change with rhGH therapy.
Change in Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (sICAM) Over 6 Months
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM) was used as a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk
1 secondary outcome
Change in Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) Score
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Nov 2021.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 25435886Slattery M, Bredella MA, Stanley T, Torriani M, Misra M. Effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration on body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in obese adolescent girls. Int J Pediatr Endocrinol. 2014;2014(1):22. doi: 10.1186/1687-9856-2014-22. Epub 2014 Nov 15.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 24251951Slattery MJ, Bredella MA, Thakur H, Torriani M, Misra M. Insulin resistance and impaired mitochondrial function in obese adolescent girls. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2014 Feb;12(1):56-61. doi: 10.1089/met.2013.0100. Epub 2013 Nov 19.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Madhusmita Misra, MD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in people with Obesity, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 21 Jul 2014). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Visceral and Subcutaneous Abdominal Adipose Tissue Over 6 Months (time frame: Baseline and 6 months). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01169103, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2021; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.