New therapy against short stature is being tested in Linz

2023-10-24 19:55:00

Twelve-year-old Livia is taking part in the study in Linz. The girl receives an injection once a week.

In Austria, around 200,000 people have short stature. “Achondroplasia” is a hereditary disease characterized by severe short stature – with a height of between 1.20 and 1.40 meters. “The disease is also associated with serious complications of nerve pathways due to bony constrictions in the spine and the back of the head, as well as bony misalignments,” says Wolfgang Högler, head of pediatric and adolescent medicine.

Previously, the treatment was with medication that was administered daily, but now injections should only be given once a week. If therapy begins early, “a good increase in height in adulthood would be possible.”