Completed

A Phase III, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Serostim®, r-hGH in the Treatment and Maintenance of Human Immunodeficiency HIV-Associated Adipose Redistribution Syndrome, or HARS

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What is being tested

Placebo

+ Serostim® 4 mg
+ Serostim® 2 mg
Drug
Who is being recruted

Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
+4

+ Immune System Diseases
+ Lipodystrophy
From 18 to 60 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Placebo-Controlled
Phase 3
Interventional
Study Start: May 2004
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorEMD Serono
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner
Study start date: May 28, 2004Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

The primary objective of the study is to determine if Serostim® 4 mg administered daily for 12 weeks as treatment for the abnormal fat accumulation and distribution associated with HIV-associated Adipose Redistribution Syndrome (HARS) reduces Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT, measured by CT scan) more effectively than placebo.

Official TitleA Phase III, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Serostim®, r-hGH in the Treatment and Maintenance of Human Immunodeficiency HIV-Associated Adipose Redistribution Syndrome, or HARS 
Principal SponsorEMD Serono
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details
326 patients to be enrolledTotal number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.
Treatment Study
These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.

How participants are assigned to different groups/arms
In this clinical study, participants are placed into groups randomly, like flipping a coin. This ensures that the study is fair and unbiased, making the results more reliable. By assigning participants by chance, researchers can better compare treatments without external influences.

Other Ways to Assign Participants
Non-randomized allocation
: Participants are assigned based on specific factors, such as their medical condition or a doctor's decision.

None (Single-arm trial)
: If the study has only one group, all participants receive the same treatment, and no allocation is needed.

How treatments are given to participants
Participants are divided into different groups, each receiving a specific treatment at the same time. This helps researchers compare how well different treatments work against each other.

Other Ways to Assign Treatments
Single-group assignment
: Everyone gets the same treatment.

Cross-over assignment
: Participants switch between treatments during the study.

Factorial assignment
: Participants receive different combinations of treatments.

Sequential assignment
: Participants receive treatments one after another in a specific order, possibly based on individual responses.

Other assignment
: Treatment assignment does not follow a standard or predefined design.

How the effectiveness of the treatment is controlled
In a placebo-controlled study, some participants receive the experimental treatment, while others receive an inert substance (placebo) to compare outcomes. This method helps to isolate the effect of the treatment from the psychological effects of receiving any treatment at all.

Other Options
Non-placebo-controlled
: No placebo is used. All participants receive the actual treatment or alternative interventions (often the Standard of Care), and comparisons are made between these treatments.

How the interventions assigned to participants is kept confidential
Neither participants nor researchers know who is receiving which treatment. This is the most rigorous way to reduce bias, ensuring that expectations do not influence the results.

Other Ways to Mask Information
Open-label
: Everyone knows which treatment is being given.

Single-blind
: Participants do not know which treatment they are receiving, but researchers do.

Triple-blind
: Participants, researchers, and outcome assessors do not know which treatment is given.

Quadruple-blind
: Participants, researchers, outcome assessors, and care providers all do not know which treatment is given.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria
Any sexBiological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.
From 18 to 60 YearsRange of ages for which participants are eligible to join.
Healthy volunteers not allowedIf individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.
Conditions
Pathology
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Lipodystrophy
Metabolic Diseases
Skin Diseases
Skin Diseases, Metabolic
Lipid Metabolism Disorders
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Have written laboratory documentation of an HIV infection by one of the following methods: * Detectable viral load measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, branched chain DNA (bDNA) signal amplification or the presence of p24 antigen. * Presence of HIV antibodies confirmed by either Western blot or immunofluorescence assay. Written laboratory documentation of an HIV infection must be obtained prior to randomization. In the absence of documented historical confirmation, an assay of HIV antibodies will be included in the Screening Laboratory Panel. Results will be confirmed with a Western Blot. 2. Have evidence of excess abdominal adipose deposition when measured by the anthropometric methodology, using the following cut off values: * Men: Waist circumference \>88.2 cm AND waist: hip ratio \>= 0.95. * Women: Waist circumference \>75.3 cm AND waist: hip ratio \>= 0.9. 3. Are taking antiretroviral medication(s) which is (are) approved or is (are) available under a Treatment IND. The regimen must have remained stable for 30 days prior to study entry. Subjects must also agree not to discontinue or to change their regimen for the duration of the study except as judged medically necessary. 4. Have parameter values less than the following limits (using results from the central laboratory): * AST, ALT, and amylase \<= 3 times the upper limit of normal (Screening). * Fasting triglycerides \<= 1,000 mg/dL (Screening). * Fasting glucose \<110 mg/dL (Screening). * Two-hour (120 minute) glucose \<140 mg/dL (Screening). 5. Weight \>= 36 kg (79.3 lb) 6. Be between 18 and 60 years of age (inclusive) unless local law dictates different limits. 7. Sufficiently literate in English to be able to comprehend and complete the Quality of Life Questionnaire. 8. Willing and able to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study. 9. Have voluntarily provided written informed consent (with subject authorization under HIPAA), prior to performing any study-related procedure that is not part of normal medical care, and with the understanding that the subject may withdraw consent at any time without prejudice to future medical care. 10. Female subjects must: 1. Be post menopausal (\>= 1 year) or surgically sterilized (i.e., have undergone tubal ligation or hysterectomy) or 2. Use a contraceptive method for the duration of the study such as: * Hormonal contraceptive * Intra uterine device * Diaphragm with spermicide, or condom with spermicide. And 3. Must be neither pregnant nor breast feeding. 4. Confirmation that female subjects of childbearing potential are not pregnant must be established by a negative beta-hCG serum pregnancy test during the 14-day screening period prior to Study Day 1. If the beta-hCG serum pregnancy test is performed more than 7 days prior to Study Day 1, a urine pregnancy test must be performed by the site laboratory on Study Day 1 to confirm a negative test result. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Have an active AIDS-defining opportunistic complication (OC) as defined by the CDC or have had an untreated or suspected serious systemic infection, or have had a persistent fever \>= 101°F (38.3°C) during the 30 days prior to study entry. 2. Any active or past history of malignancy, except for localized cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma (fewer than 10 lesions, none of which are larger than 2 cm, and not on active therapy). Such exceptions must be confirmed in writing by the Serono Study Director. 3. Have a CNS mass or active CNS process associated with neurological findings. 4. Have unstable or untreated hypertension, defined as \>= 140/90 mm Hg at the time of the Screening Visit, and/or have initiated or changed antihypertensive therapy in the 30 days prior to Study Day 1. 5. Have an acute critical illness treated in an intensive care unit, e.g., due to complications following open heart or abdominal surgery, multiple accidental trauma, or acute respiratory failure. 6. Have a recent history of sleep apnea or intermittent upper respiratory obstruction. 7. Have any condition, which interferes with informed consent or protocol compliance including, but not limited to, active substance abuse and/or dementia. 8. Are unable to comply with the Concomitant Therapy restrictions including: * therapy for obesity including therapy with anorexigenic or fat reducing drugs * anti-diabetic or insulin sensitizing medications * systemic glucocorticoids * systemic chemotherapy, interferon or radiation therapy treatment * androgenic agents including, but not limited to testosterone, nandrolone, oxandrolone, oxymetholone, etc. (testosterone replacement therapy for hypogonadism is the exception to this exclusion and will be allowed if started \> 30 days prior to Study Day 1) * progestational agents, unless used for oral contraception or post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy * appetite stimulants * investigational agents, unless approved in advance by the study medical director. Specifically, experimental antiretroviral agents are disallowed, unless available under a treatment IND or expanded access program (30 days). * Liposuction or other elective plastic surgery * AIDS wasting therapy or prior growth hormone treatment other than study drug (for 12 months prior to the screening visit) 9. Have ever been diagnosed with any of the following conditions: * Pancreatitis * Carpal tunnel syndrome (unless resolved by surgical release) * Diabetes mellitus * Angina pectoris * Coronary artery disease * Any disorder associated with moderate to severe edema (e.g., ascites, nephrotic syndrome, congestive heart failure, lymphedema). 10. Allergy or hypersensitivity to growth hormone. 11. Are participating in any other clinical studies. In order to participate in this trial a subject must meet all of the inclusion and exclusion criteria specified above. Requests for protocol exceptions/exemptions must come from a participating, fully initiated site at which a prospective patient has consented to undergo screening. Exceptions/exemptions are only allowed by the Trial Director. There is no program in place to allow drug for a single patient IND, or for an expanded access protocol. This statement holds true for both children and adults.

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives
5 intervention groups 

are designated in this study

20% chance 

of being blinded to the placebo group

Treatment Groups
Group I
Placebo
Subjects will receive placebo matched to serostim® as subcutaneous injection daily for a period of 12 weeks.

Placebo matched to serostim® as subcutaneous injection.
Group II
Experimental
All subjects who will be initially randomized to Placebo arm in Period I continue receiving placebo matched to Serostim® on alternate days for 12 weeks followed by Serostim® 4 mg daily 12 weeks.

Placebo matched to serostim® as subcutaneous injection.

Serostim® as subcutaneous injection at a maximum dose of 4 milligram (mg) per day based on body weight.
Group III
Experimental
All subjects who will be initially randomized to Serostim® 4 mg arm in Period I and will receive placebo matched to Serostim® on alternate days for 24 weeks in Period II.

Placebo matched to serostim® as subcutaneous injection.
Group IV
Experimental
Subjects will receive Serostim® as subcutaneous injection at a maximum dose of 4 milligram (mg) per day based on body weight for a period of 12 weeks.

Serostim® as subcutaneous injection at a maximum dose of 4 milligram (mg) per day based on body weight.
Group 5
Experimental
All subjects who will be initially randomized to Serostim® 4 mg arm in Period I and will receive Serostim® 2 mg on alternate days for 24 weeks in Period II.

Serostim® 2 mg as subcutaneous injection on alternate days.
Study Objectives
Primary Objectives

Absolute area of VAT was measured by cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) scan at the level of the L4-5 inter-vertebral disk. CT scanning was to be used to assess the cross sectional area of abdominal fat and its distribution between the visceral and subcutaneous compartments, as measured at L4-L5.
Secondary Objectives

Changes in trunk fat was measured as changes in mass (kg) on Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) Scan.

Body image distress was assessed on a scale ranging from 0 to 100, where 0 = Extremely Upsetting and 100 = Extremely Encouraging.

Lipid profile data was analyzed for Non-HDL Cholesterol.

Failure rate based on VAT was assessed by CT scan at L4-L5. The failure rate was defined as the percentage of subjects who regained \>50% of their VAT lost in Treatment Period I. This outcome was to be assessed for subjects who received Serostim® 4 mg in Period I.

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.
This study has 31 locations
Suspended
University of Alabama/BirminghamBirmingham, United StatesSee the location
Suspended
CARE CLINIC - UCLA Medical CenterLos Angeles, United States
Suspended
1401 N. Palm CanyonPalm Springs, United States
Suspended
Trials Unit Div of Infectious and Immunologic DiseasesSacramento, United States
Completed31 Study Centers