Context: Burosumab has been approved for the treatment of children and adults with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). Real-world data and evidence for its efficacy in adolescents are lacking. Objective: To assess the effects of 12 months of burosumab treatment on mineral metabolism in children (aged <12 years) and adolescents (aged 12-18 years) with XLH. Design: Prospective national registry. Setting: Hospital clinics. Patients: A total of 93 patients with XLH (65 children, 28 adolescents). Main Outcome Measures: Z scores for serum phosphate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate per glomerular filtration rate (TmP/GFR) at 12 months. Results: At baseline, patients showed hypophosphatemia (−4.4 SD), reduced TmP/GFR (−6.5 SD), and elevated ALP (2.7 SD, each P < .001 vs healthy children) irrespective of age, suggesting active rickets despite prior therapy with oral phosphate and active vitamin D in 88% of patients. Burosumab treatment resulted in comparable increases in serum phosphate and TmP/GFR in children and adolescents with XLH and a steady decline in serum ALP (each P < .001 vs baseline). At 12 months, serum phosphate, TmP/GFR, and ALP levels were within the age-related normal range in approximately 42%, 27%, and 80% of patients in both groups, respectively, with a lower, weight-based final burosumab dose in adolescents compared with children (0.72 vs 1.06 mg/kg, P < .01). Conclusions: In this real-world setting, 12 months of burosumab treatment was equally effective in normalizing serum ALP in adolescents and children, despite persistent mild hypophosphatemia in one-half of patients, suggesting that complete normalization of serum phosphate is not mandatory for substantial improvement of rickets in these patients. Adolescents appear to require lower weight-based burosumab dosage than children.

Context: Vosoritide is the first approved targeted therapy for achondroplasia (ACH) based on increased annualized growth velocity in clinical trials. The aim of our project was an assessment of the real-world setting and treatment with vosoritide. Design: This was a 12-month, retrospective observational study on an inception cohort of 34 patients with ACH treated with vosoritide. Patients and Methods: Thirty-four patients with ACH (22 males; aged 2.8 to 15.3 years at treatment initiation) who received vosoritide treatment for at least 12 months at a specialized clinic for skeletal dysplasia in childhood were included in the analysis. Auxological measurements at baseline and after 12 months of therapy were converted into disease-specific (ACH) and general population [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] z-scores. Physical function assessed by a 6-minute walk test was converted into z-scores and compared to an unaffected reference cohort. Results: After 12 months of treatment, both ACH and CDC height z-scores showed significant increases, with mean changes (mean ± SD) of 0.52 ± 0.35 and 0.38 ± 0.44, respectively (both P < .0001). The annualized growth velocity exceeded reference values for untreated children with ACH. No significant changes were observed in body mass index, upper to lower body segment ratio (sitting height/height), or head circumference. The 6-minute walking distance improved, with z-scores increasing from −2.00 ± 1.12 to −1.39 ± 1.23 (P = .0215). Conclusion: In a real-world setting, children with ACH showed significant improvements in growth and physical function after 12 months of treatment with vosoritide.

Bone strength and fracture risk do not only depend on bone density, but also on bone structure. The trabecular bone score (TBS) evaluates homogeneity of bone microarchitecture indirectly by measuring gray-level variations of two-dimensional (2D) DXA images. Although TBS is well-established for adults, there have been only few publications in pediatrics. In this monocentric retrospective analysis, we investigated TBS in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), a patient group vulnerable to low bone mineral mass due to impaired mobility. The influence of different parameters on TBS and areal BMD (aBMD) were evaluated, as well as the relationship between TBS and aBMD. We compared TBS values of our study population to a reference population. A total of 472 lumbar spine–dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (LS-DXA) scans of children and adolescents with CP (205 female), aged between 4 and 18 years, were analyzed. The DXA-scans were part of the routine examination. The children had no records of fractures or specific bone diseases. Our study population with CP had similar TBS as the reference population. TBS did not increase with age until an inflection point at 10 years in females, and 12 years in males. Girls had significantly higher TBS than boys (p = .049) and pubertal girls aged 8 to 13 years had significantly higher TBS than prepubertal girls (p = .009). TBS standard deviation score for age (SDS-TBS) and aBMD Z-scores correlated weakly (p < .001; R = 0.276 [males], R = 0.284 [females]). Other than for aBMD Z-scores, SDS-TBS was not influenced by age-adjusted height Z-scores and there was no significant difference in SDS-TBS when grouped by mobility levels, using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Our results indicate that children with CP have a similar homogeneous distribution of trabecular microarchitecture as controls. Puberty initiation appears to be essential for increase of TBS with age and for sex differences. TBS seems less influenced by body composition, height, and mobility than aBMD. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Background: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare inherited phosphate-wasting disorder associated with bone and dental complications. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is reduced in XLH patients on conventional treatment with phosphate supplements and active vitamin D, while information on patients treated with burosumab is rare. Methods: HRQoL was assessed in 63 pediatric XLH patients participating in a prospective, observational study and patient registry in Germany using the KIDSCREEN-52 survey instrument and standardized qualitative interviews. Results: The median age of the XLH patients was 13.2 years (interquartile range 10.6 – 14.6). At the time of the survey, 55 (87%) patients received burosumab and 8 (13%) conventional treatment. Forty-six patients (84%) currently being treated with burosumab previously received conventional treatment. Overall, HRQoL was average compared to German reference values (mean ± SD: self-report, 53.36 ± 6.47; caregivers’ proxy, 51.33 ± 7.15) and even slightly above average in some dimensions, including physical, mental, and social well-being. In general, XLH patients rated their own HRQoL higher than their caregivers. In qualitative interviews, patients and caregivers reported that, compared with conventional therapy, treatment with burosumab reduced stress, bone pain, and fatigue, improved physical health, and increased social acceptance by peers and the school environment. Conclusions: In this real-world study in pediatric XLH patients, HRQoL was average or even slightly above that of the general population, likely due to the fact that the vast majority of patients had their treatment modality switched from conventional treatment to burosumab resulting in improved physical health and well-being. Graphical