Patient Preference and Adherence (Apr 2025)
Usability and Preference Evaluation of the Somapacitan Pen-Injector and Lonapegsomatropin Autoinjector: Results of a US-Based Simulated-Use Study with Adolescent Patients and Caregivers
Abstract
Johan Medina,1 Gitte Ter-Borch,2 Nicky Kelepouris,3 Sophie Hamilton,3 Maya Gonczi,4 Jørgen Vinsløv Hansen,5 Shahid Akhtar1 1Medical & Science, Devices & Digital Health, Novo Nordisk A/S, Søborg, Denmark; 2Usability Engineering, Devices and Delivery Solutions, Novo Nordisk A/S, Hillerød, Denmark; 3Rare Endocrine Disorders, Novo Nordisk Inc., Plainsboro, NJ, USA; 4Human Factors, Research Collective, Tempe, AZ, USA; 5Biostatistics, Novo Nordisk A/S, Søborg, DenmarkCorrespondence: Johan Medina, Medical & Science, Devices & Digital Health, Novo Nordisk A/S, Søborg, Denmark, Tel +45-30756938, Email [email protected]: To compare the preference and ease of use/learning how to use, of the somapacitan (Sogroya®) pen-injector and the lonapegsomatropin (Skytrofa®) autoinjector among adolescents with growth-related disorders (GRDs) and caregivers of individuals with GRDs.Patients and Methods: This was a randomized, open-label, multicenter, usability-based preference and handling study with a crossover design. Participants recruited were adolescents aged 10– 17 years with a GRD, able to self-administer growth hormone (GH) or perform some of substeps required; and caregivers aged ≥ 18 years and regular care providers for individuals with GRDs. Participants completed a series of simulated injections using both devices and completed a Device Handling and Preference Assessment Questionnaire (DHPAQ). Training time and time to prepare and inject with each device were also evaluated.Results: Seventy participants were recruited overall; 35 in each of the adolescent and caregiver groups. Most (78.6%) participants preferred the somapacitan device to the lonapegsomatropin device (95% confidence interval [CI] 67.1– 87.5). The lonapegsomatropin device was preferred by 14.3% of participants, and 7.1% indicated no preference. Most participants indicated that somapacitan device was easy to use (97.1% [95% CI 90.1– 99.7]) and learn how to use (95.7% [95% CI 88.0– 99.1]). The same was reported for the lonapegsomatropin device by 57.1% (95% CI 44.8– 68.9) and 54.3% (95% CI 41.9– 66.3%) of participants, respectively. Average time taken to complete training for the somapacitan device and to prepare and inject was shorter than that for the lonapegsomatropin device (5.9 min vs 24.0 min, and 0.9 vs 10.6 min, respectively).Conclusion: The somapacitan device was preferred over the lonapegsomatropin device among adolescents with GRDs and caregivers of individuals with GRDs. Individuals receiving GH treatment via the somapacitan device may be more likely to have higher treatment adherence than those using the lonapegsomatropin device.Plain language summary: Growth hormone (GH) is produced within the body to encourage growth. Children and adolescents with growth-related disorders can receive injections of GH under the skin to improve their chances of reaching an adult height in the expected range. However, administering injections of GH can be a burden and could be difficult for patients and caregivers to maintain.In this study, we wanted to understand preferences for two different types of GH injection devices: the somapacitan pen-injector and the lonapegsomatropin autoinjector. We asked 35 adolescents (aged 10– 17 years) with growth-related disorders and 35 adult caregivers of individuals with growth-related disorders about their preferences between these two devices. After participants were trained and had practiced mock injections with each device, they completed a questionnaire about their experiences.Most participants (79%) preferred the somapacitan pen-injector, while 14% preferred the lonapegsomatropin autoinjector. Most participants thought the somapacitan pen-injector was easy to use (97%) and easy to learn how to use (96%). Just over half of the participants thought the lonapegsomatropin autoinjector was easy to use (57%) and easy to learn how to use (54%). Overall, participants learnt how to use the somapacitan pen-injector (6 minutes on average) more quickly than the lonapegsomatropin autoinjector (24 minutes on average).In our study, participants preferred using the somapacitan pen-injector over the lonapegsomatropin autoinjector. Therefore, using the somapacitan pen-injector could increase regular use of GH treatment, which may help individuals reach their target adult height.Keywords: adherence to growth hormone, device preference, growth hormone injection device, long-acting growth hormone
