Growth hormone - 20 years of clinical practice

Recombinant growth hormone (rGH) synthesized by the DNA recombination technology is available commercially since 1985. The advent of this product has greatly promoted a wider application of growth hormone therapy throughout the world and gave a powerful impetus to the investigations of its clinical efficiency, improved dosing schedules and methods of administration, facilitated reaching a final height, resulted in marked amelioration of the patients' quality of life, and extended the range of indications for the use of growth hormone preparations. A vast experience with the clinical use of rGH for the treatment of a variety of pathological conditions has been gained for the last 20 years. These include growth hormone deficiency in children and adults, syndromal and idiopathic short stature, intrauterine growth retardation, chronic renal insufficiency, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and diseases of the hematopoietic system. Therapy with recombinant growth hormone is generally recognized to be efficacious and safe although the experience with its application for the treatment of certain diseases is insufficient and further accumulation of relevant data is needed.