Comparison of follitropin-beta administered by a pen device with conventional syringe in an ART programme - a retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
This study compares the efficacy and patient tolerance of follitropin-beta (recagon) administered using a pen device with conventional syringe in infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment.


METHODS
Data for 481 patients were retrieved retrospectively for the analysis. Conventional syringe group constituted 204 patients with 217 cycles and 265 patients with 294 cycles in the pen-device group. Down-regulation was achieved with GnRH agonist.


RESULTS
Comparison of follitropin-beta administered with pen and syringe showed the following data, respectively. A total dose of 1909.38/2100.65 IU (P < 0.001), duration of stimulation, 9.70/10.47 days (P < 0.05), oestradiol levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin, 1488.34/1067.63 pg/ml, number of follicles reaching >16-mm size, 9.75/7.34 (P < 0.05), number of oocytes retrieved, 13.84/9.55 (P < 0.001) and number of embryos available for freezing, 4.56/1.30 (P < 0.05), the above data were observed in pen/conventional syringe groups, respectively. The live birth rates per cycle were 28.85% and 30.95% in the conventional syringe/pen-device groups, respectively. Patient tolerance with respect to pain at injection site was better with the pen device (P < 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
The data show that follitropin-beta administered with pen device is well tolerated and more efficacious with respect to ovarian stimulation outcome compared with the conventional syringe.
Rama Raju
G A
GA
Krishna IVF Clinic, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. krishnaivf@yahoo.com
Suryanarayana
K
K
Jaya Prakash
G
G
Murali Krishna
K
K
D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists*; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000295:instrumentation; D050498:Live Birth; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012646:Self Administration; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013997:Time Factors
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D004958:Estradiol