William Beaumont Hospital, In Vitro Fertility Clinic, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA. wkeye@beaumont.edu
BACKGROUND: The safety and tolerability of a new highly purified, urine-derived human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) preparation [Menopur] was compared with a currently available hMG [Repronex] in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: This was a randomized, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter study conducted in subjects undergoing IVF. Women (N = 125), 18-39 years of age, underwent pituitary down-regulation with leuprolide acetate beginning 7 days prior to onset of menses and continuing up to the day before hCG administration. Subjects were randomized to receive subcutaneous (SC) Menopur (n = 61) or Repronex SC (n = 64) for a maximum of 12 days. All adverse events (AEs) were recorded and subject self-assessments of injection site reactions were recorded in a daily diary. RESULTS: Significantly fewer subjects in the Menopur group reported injection site reactions (P < 0.001) compared to the Repronex group. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of AEs between the two treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Menopur SC offers a greater safety and tolerability profile compared to Repronex SC.