Once-weekly Long-acting Growth Hormone Eases the Journey to Height Gain

# New Hope for Children with Short Stature | Once-weekly Long-acting Growth Hormone Eases the Journey to Height Gain If your child grows less than 5 cm per year and falls noticeably behind peers; if bone age advances prematurely, the critical window for growth closes quickly. After a diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD), many families face a major hurdle: long-term daily injections trigger fear and resistance in children, leading to frequent missed doses. The precious optimal treatment window may be lost as a result.

Now, an internationally innovative long-acting growth hormone — Lonapegsomatropin (Weizengao®, overseas brand name Skytrofa) — is available in Beijing Jingdu Children Hospital，Mainland China, offering a new therapeutic option for children with short stature. ✅ Core Advantage 1: Only One Injection Per Week, Greatly Reducing Injection-related Anxiety Conventional short-acting growth hormone requires 365 injections a year. Over lengthy treatment courses, children often cry and resist injections, placing heavy stress on parents. Lonapegsomatropin is administered once weekly, requiring merely 52 injections annually, cutting injection frequency by 85%. Fewer painful stimuli significantly improve treatment adherence, minimize missed doses, and sustain consistent growth therapy. ✅ Core Advantage 2: Global Phase III Trials Confirm Superior Efficacy over Daily Short-acting Preparations Powered by the innovative TransCon transient conjugation technology, the medicine releases steadily in the body and delivers **natural growth hormone identical to the human endogenous form, without permanent chemical modification**. Findings from global and Chinese clinical trials demonstrate that this therapy achieves a higher annualized growth velocity compared with daily short-acting growth hormone. The stable hormone profile continuously acts on epiphyseal cartilage to help children fully realise their height potential. ✅ Core Advantage 3: Exclusive Room-temperature Storage; No Cold Chain Restrictions During Trips or Boarding School Most growth hormone products require constant refrigeration at 2–8°C. Ice packs are mandatory for travel, summer camps and boarding school, and improper storage can render medication ineffective. Lonapegsomatropin remains stable for up to six months at room temperature (≤30°C) and is formulated without preservatives. It can be conveniently carried to school, on excursions and long-distance journeys, freeing families from reliance on refrigerators and coolers and integrating treatment seamlessly into daily life.Suitable for overseas patients to purchase for use upon returning to their home countries. ✅ Core Advantage 4: Internationally Authorised, Globally Consistent Quality Assurance This product has secured approvals from the US FDA, European EMA and China’s NMPA. Manufactured in Denmark, it boasts up to six years of long-term clinical safety data. Its adverse event profile is comparable to traditional daily short-acting growth hormone, with safety validated by paediatric patients worldwide. It is supplied with an auto-injector featuring a hidden needle design to reduce children’s visual fear; the device is simple to operate. ## Global Price Comparison (Mainland China vs Major Markets) All costs below refer to full out-of-pocket expenditure for reference, calculated based on the standard dose of 0.24 mg/kg weekly. Actual expenses rise with the child’s body weight. - **United States**: Highest listed price globally. Annual treatment cost is approximately USD 60,000–68,000 (≈CNY 432,000–490,000). Most patients rely on commercial insurance to lower personal payments. - **Hong Kong, Singapore, Southeast Asia**: Annual self-funded cost is around CNY 320,000–420,000, higher than pricing in Mainland China. - **Mainland China**: The official pricing is set below levels seen in the United States and Southeast Asia. For a 25 kg child, the estimated full self-funded annual cost ranges from CNY 300,000 to 320,000. The drug is not yet included in the national medical insurance scheme and requires full private payment. Compared with domestically produced long-acting growth hormones covered by medical insurance in China, Lonapegsomatropin carries a substantially higher annual treatment cost. ⚠️ Important Medical Disclaimer (Mandatory for Compliance) Lonapegsomatropin is indicated only for children and adolescents aged 3 years and above with growth retardation caused by growth hormone deficiency. It is NOT a universal “height-increasing drug”. It is not suitable for patients with idiopathic short stature, precocious puberty or closed epiphyseal plates. This is a prescription-only medicine. Prior to initiation, paediatric endocrinologists must complete comprehensive assessments including bone age testing, growth hormone stimulation tests and pituitary MRI scans. Patients require regular monitoring of IGF-1, thyroid function, blood glucose and height growth rate throughout treatment. Patients with a history of malignant tumours require careful multidisciplinary consultation to weigh benefits against risks before treatment initiation. The drug is currently not reimbursed under China’s national medical insurance system and is fully self-funded. Once closed, the window for growth cannot be recovered. If your child exhibits persistently slow growth, seek formal growth and development assessments at qualified hospitals without delay. Discuss personalised growth plans with specialist physicians.