Using daily recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) combined with testosterone injections every 2 weeks, findings from a single-center study showed that patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) experienced improvements in ambulation, strength, muscle mass, and disease burden. Investigators concluded that placebo-controlled trials are needed to investigate and confirm the benefit of this therapeutic approach.
Known as STARFISH (NCT03123913), the study featured 20 men with FSHD who received daily rHGH of Genotropin and testosterone for 24 weeks with a 12-week washout period. Individuals were between 18 and 65 years old, had a genetically confirmed diagnosis, had hematocrit of less than 50%, were able to walk continuously for 6 minutes, and had prostate-specific antigen of less than 4.0 ng/ml. Those with diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, untreated thyroid disease, and deep vein thrombosis, among other exclusions, were not permitted.
