Decreased response to growth hormone after interruption of therapy

The relatively high cost of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has raised the issue of whether intermittent treatment regimens might be efficacious for patients with GH deficiency. Two previous reports have suggested that interruption of GH treatment may avoid the typical waning of response associated with continuous GH therapy and may, therefore, result in an advantageous cost-benefit ratio. We have studied 2 patients with GH deficiency treated with rhGH which was interrupted for one month. The one month of interrupted therapy did not have any beneficial effect and may have caused a loss of potential growth. Although our observations are limited, the data indicate that intermittent GH treatment regimens should not be advocated in the absence of additional investigations.