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Hypogonadotropic HypogonadismPhase 2NCT00383656

Pulsatile GnRH in Anovulatory Infertility

A Phase 2 study testing GnRH and Pump in people with Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism and Amenorrhea, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) upon the pituitary and ovaries of women with infertility. Women diagnosed with GnRH deficiency, hypothalamic amenorrhea or acquired hypogonadic hypogonadism, will participate in this study. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 to 45 years, women only
What is being tested?
GnRH and Pump
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
270 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 1989to Sep 2020
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 16 to 45 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Women and minors with GnRH deficiency or idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) will have a history of primary amenorrhea, no evidence of abnormalities in other hormonal axes, a deficient pattern of luteinizing hormone (LH) and/or free alpha subunit (FAS) secretion on baseline sampling and a normal cranial CT or MRI.
  • Women and minors with hypothalamic amenorrhea will have a history of secondary amenorrhea of at least six months duration with low or normal gonadotropins or a history of primary amenorrhea in the presence of pulsatile patterns of LH or FAS on baseline frequent sampling studies, BMI > 18 kg/m2 and normal testosterone and prolactin levels.
  • Women and minors with acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism will have a history of hypothalamic or pituitary tumor treated with surgery alone or in combination with radiotherapy or a history of hypothalamic irradiation as adjunctive therapy for leukemia or craniofacial neoplasms. There must be a minimum of 2 years since irradiation and no gonadal radiation. For the previous two months, patients will be euthyroid on thyroid replacement if needed, normoprolactinemic on dopamine agonists if needed, and receiving physiologic glucocorticoid replacement if needed.
  • Subjects will be otherwise healthy women and female minors between the ages of 16 and 45 years who have not been on gonadal steroid preparations for at least 1 month. Subjects will have normal complete blood count (hemoglobin greater than or equal to 11.5gm/dl) and thyroid function tests and a negative pregnancy test.

Who cannot join

  • Mitral valve prolapse with ballooning of the mitral valve will be cause for exclusion of the patient from intravenous GnRH treatment.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Janet E Hall, M.D. contact

617-726-1117

jehall@mgh.harvard.edu

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) upon the pituitary and ovaries of women with infertility. Women diagnosed with GnRH deficiency, hypothalamic amenorrhea or acquired hypogonadic hypogonadism, will participate in this study. It is hoped that administration of GnRH will lead to proper stimulation of the pituitary gland and to normal ovulation and menstruation.

WE ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING ONLY WOMEN WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF IDIOPATHIC HYPOGONADIC HYPOGONADISM (IHH)

Pulsatile GnRH has been approved by the FDA for use in women with primary amenorrhea due to complete GnRH deficiency. The overall goals of this protocol are to continue to use pulsatile GnRH in GnRH-deficient and other anovulatory women for ovulation induction and to examine specific physiologic hypotheses, which can only be addressed in this patient population.

Read the detailed description

In comparison to the use of exogenous gonadotropins, pulsatile administration of GnRH has many theoretical advantages for ovulation induction, including; 1) the ability to use the patients' own gonadotropins for ovarian stimulation; 2) the ability to treat anovulatory defects at their appropriate level, which most commonly is hypothalamic; 3) the ability to maintain normal ovarian-pituitary feedback mechanisms to restrain endogenous FSH secretion, as occurs normally in species that ovulate a single egg per cycle; 4) a resultant decrease in the risks of multiple gestations and hyperstimulation; and 5) a decreased need for intensive monitoring of ovarian function with an attendant decrease in costs.

When synthetic GnRH first became available for clinical study, there was not yet an adequate understanding of the physiology of GnRH secretion in the human to support its potential therapeutic application. As a result, early attempts at ovulation induction were unsuccessful. It was soon appreciated that an episodic mode of delivery was essential for normal pituitary stimulation by GnRH. Studies by our group and others which defined the frequency of pulsatile GnRH secretion in normal women at different stages of the menstrual were then key to designing a physiologic program of pulsatile GnRH administration that resulted in successful ovulation induction in patients with GnRH deficiency. Additional studies demonstrated that which replacement of GnRH using the subcutaneous route was adequate to reproduce normal physiology in GnRH-deficient men, the intravenous route was superior in women. We have now determined the dose of GnRH which is appropriate for the majority of women as 75 ng/kg, a dose which induces ovulation of a single dominant follicle, followed by normal luteal phase dynamics.

A number of investigators including us have sought to define the specific subgroups likely to achieve the greatest benefit from this form of therapy. However, there are many questions which remain unanswered and that we are currently addressing. We are specifically interested in understanding why there is variability in the dose of GnRH required by apparently GnRH-deficient women.

It is important to note that minors have been included in this protocol, as many patients are extremely anxious to know whether they respond normally to pulsatile GnRH even though they may not be interested in conceiving at the time. This is particularly true of patients who have survived childhood cancers and associated surgery and/or radiation in whom a normal response to pulsatile GnRH can be a very positive experience.

Being tested
GnRH, Pump
Keywords
gonadotropin releasing hormone, GnRH deficiency, hypothalamic amenorrhea, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, Kallman's syndrome, infertility
Medical subject headings
Hypogonadism, Amenorrhea, Kallmann Syndrome, Infertility

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • GnRHDrug

    Also called gonaodtropin releasing hormone, GnRH pump

    75 ng/kg GnRH IV

  • PumpDevice

    Also called mini-infusion pump

    portable, infusion pump for GnRH

Study groups in NCT00383656
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Pulsatile GnRHExperimentalAll participants will be administered GnRH intravenously by means of a portable infusion pump that delivers boluses at specific intervals.
Receives: Drug: GnRH; Device: Pump

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. ovulation

    LH surge or luteal phase progesterone > 5 ng/dL

    Measured: 1 pulsatile GnRH cycle

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. pregnancy

    serum HCG indicative of pregnancy

    Measured: 6 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 Oct 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 1989
  3. Primary completionSep 2020 (estimated)
  4. Study completionSep 2020 (estimated)

Resources

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
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
270 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00383656
Sponsor's protocol ID
1999-P-004396
Other IDs
5U54HD028138
Status last verified
Jul 2017
First submitted
29 Sep 2006
Last updated
12 Jul 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
Yes: Individual patient data will be shared across MGH and NIH protocols to which the participant consents.

Publications

  • Martin K, Santoro N, Hall J, Filicori M, Wierman M, Crowley WF Jr. Clinical review 15: Management of ovulatory disorders with pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1990 Nov;71(5):1081A-1081G. doi: 10.1210/jcem-71-5-1081.

    PubMed 2229271
  • Martin KA, Hall JE, Adams JM, Crowley WF Jr. Comparison of exogenous gonadotropins and pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone for induction of ovulation in hypogonadotropic amenorrhea. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993 Jul;77(1):125-9. doi: 10.1210/jcem.77.1.8325934.

    PubMed 8325934
  • Santoro N, Wierman ME, Filicori M, Waldstreicher J, Crowley WF Jr. Intravenous administration of pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone in hypothalamic amenorrhea: effects of dosage. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1986 Jan;62(1):109-16. doi: 10.1210/jcem-62-1-109.

    PubMed 3079597
  • Homburg R, Eshel A, Armar NA, Tucker M, Mason PW, Adams J, Kilborn J, Sutherland IA, Jacobs HS. One hundred pregnancies after treatment with pulsatile luteinising hormone releasing hormone to induce ovulation. BMJ. 1989 Mar 25;298(6676):809-12. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6676.809.

    PubMed 2496866
  • Filicori M, Flamigni C, Meriggiola MC, Ferrari P, Michelacci L, Campaniello E, Valdiserri A, Cognigni G. Endocrine response determines the clinical outcome of pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone ovulation induction in different ovulatory disorders. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 May;72(5):965-72. doi: 10.1210/jcem-72-5-965.

    PubMed 1902487
  • Filicori M, Flamigni C, Meriggiola MC, Cognigni G, Valdiserri A, Ferrari P, Campaniello E. Ovulation induction with pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone: technical modalities and clinical perspectives. Fertil Steril. 1991 Jul;56(1):1-13. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)54407-0. No abstract available.

    PubMed 2065788
  • Hall JE, Martin KA, Whitney HA, Landy H, Crowley WF Jr. Potential for fertility with replacement of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone in long term female survivors of cranial tumors. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1994 Oct;79(4):1166-72. doi: 10.1210/jcem.79.4.7962290.

    PubMed 7962290
  • Seminara SB, Beranova M, Oliveira LM, Martin KA, Crowley WF Jr, Hall JE. Successful use of pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) for ovulation induction and pregnancy in a patient with GnRH receptor mutations. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000 Feb;85(2):556-62. doi: 10.1210/jcem.85.2.6357.

    PubMed 10690855
  • Lavoie HB, Martin KA, Taylor E, Crowley WF, Hall JE. Exaggerated free alpha-subunit levels during pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone replacement in women with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Jan;83(1):241-7. doi: 10.1210/jcem.83.1.4488.

    PubMed 9435449
  • Nestler JE, Jakubowicz DJ, Evans WS, Pasquali R. Effects of metformin on spontaneous and clomiphene-induced ovulation in the polycystic ovary syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1998 Jun 25;338(26):1876-80. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199806253382603.

    PubMed 9637806
  • De Leo V, la Marca A, Ditto A, Morgante G, Cianci A. Effects of metformin on gonadotropin-induced ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertil Steril. 1999 Aug;72(2):282-5. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(99)00208-3.

    PubMed 10438996
  • Hopkins CC, Hall JE, Santoro NF, Martin KA, Filicori M, Crowley WF Jr. Closed intravenous administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone: safety of extended peripheral intravenous catheterization. Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Aug;74(2):267-70.

    PubMed 2664612
  • Coetzee EJ, Jackson WP. Pregnancy in established non-insulin-dependent diabetics. A five-and-a-half year study at Groote Schuur Hospital. S Afr Med J. 1980 Nov 15;58(20):795-802.

    PubMed 6777880
  • Coetzee EJ, Jackson WP. Oral hypoglycaemics in the first trimester and fetal outcome. S Afr Med J. 1984 Apr 21;65(16):635-7.

    PubMed 6369573
  • Delaney A, Volochayev R, Meader B, Lee J, Almpani K, Noukelak GY, Henkind J, Chalmers L, Law JR, Williamson KA, Jacobsen CM, Buitrago TP, Perez O, Cho CH, Kaindl A, Rauch A, Steindl K, Garcia JE, Russell BE, Prasad R, Mondal UK, Reigstad HM, Clements S, Kim S, Inoue K, Arora G, Salnikov KB, DiOrio NP, Prada R, Capri Y, Morioka K, Mizota M, Zechi-Ceide RM, Kokitsu-Nakata NM, Tonello C, Vendramini-Pittoli S, da Silva Dalben G, Balasubramanian R, Dwyer AA, Seminara SB, Crowley WF, Plummer L, Hall JE, Graham JM, Lin AE, Shaw ND. Insight Into the Ontogeny of GnRH Neurons From Patients Born Without a Nose. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May 1;105(5):1538-51. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa065.

    PubMed 32034419

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing GnRH and Pump in people with Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism and Amenorrhea, 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 1 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Jul 2017. 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. 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?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Janet E Hall, M.D. (617-726-1117, jehall@mgh.harvard.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

ovulation (time frame: 1 pulsatile GnRH cycle). 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 NCT00383656, which also lists 16 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 12 Jul 2017.

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