THERAPEUTIC ADHERENCE AND RESULTS IN ARGENTINE PATIENTS TREATED WITH GROWTH HORMONE USING THE EASYPOD (TM) DEVICE. THE EASYPOD (TM) CONNECT MULTICENTER OBSERVATIONAL STUDY (ECOS)

Introduction. Poor adherence is a substantial factor in suboptimal growth of children receiving recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy for growth disorders. The easypod (TM) electromechanical injection device automatically records patients' adherence to rhGH (somatropin, SaizenTM). This study assessed the impact of easypod (TM) connect on treatment adherence in the cohort of Argentinian patients from the Easypod (TM) Connect Observational Study (ECOS). Patients and methods. This was a longitudinal, observational study in 24 countries, conducted for a minimum treatment period of 6 months (3 months in the Argentinian cohort) and a follow-up of up to 5 years. Good adherence (days with injections received/days with injections planned) was defined as >= 80%. Growth outcomes (change in height standard deviation and height velocity scores [SDS]) were assessed after 1 year of treatment. Results. Of the 68 Argentinian patients enrolled, 63 were included in the analysis. Median adherence was 81.8% for the individual treatment period, 88.15% at 3 months' follow-up, 86.7% at 6 months, 88.5% at 1 year, 83.1% at 2 years, 81.0% at 3 years, 64.95% at 4 years and 74.8% at 5 years. Overall, growth outcomes were clinically meaningful for all datasets (height velocity SDS >+1). Conclusion. Administration of r-hGH via easypod (TM) resulted in high adherence and positive growth outcomes in the Argentinian population of the ECOS. Easypod (TM) and easypod (TM) connect are valuable tools for monitoring adherence behaviours in a real-world population of patients receiving rhGH.