Short-term safety of somatropin inhalation powder in adults with mild to moderate asthma.

Systemic therapeutic protein delivery through the lungs could potentially replace delivery by injection, but safety needs to be established in patients with known pulmonary disease. This study determined the short-term safety profile of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; somatropin) inhalation therapy in clinically stable adult subjects with mild to moderate asthma and methacholine sensitivity. This randomized, placebo-controlled study had two phases: (1) an escalating 3-dose, 4-day/dosage tolerance phase; and (2) a 14-day, crossover design comparability phase.