Dual Trigger for Elective Fertility Preservation

Infertility Clinical Trial

— DUAL-T  

Official title:

Dual Trigger vs.GnRH-a Trigger for Elective Fertility Preservation. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04992468
• Other study ID #: FSD-PSE-2021-09
• Secondary ID: 2021-002467-22
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: October 5, 2021
• Est. completion date: April 25, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: July 2023
• Source: Institut Universitari Dexeus
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The widespread availability of efficient contraception as well as women's increased education has led to childbearing postponement. Combined with the increased recognition of the concept of "ovarian aging", this has opened the Pandora´s box of EOC, which is currently considered a safe and cost-efficient approach among assisted reproduction techniques.

Previous studies have shown that two main factors determine the CLBR after EOC: 1) patient's age at the time of oocyte banking, and 2) the number of oocytes retrieved. Therefore, measures aiming at increasing the oocyte yield, specially the number of mature oocytes retrieved, will maximize the success of this technique.

In the last few years, the dual trigger for final oocyte maturation has emerged has an approach that seems to improve both oocyte yield and quality when compared to the hCG trigger alone. Nowadays, the standard of care in EOC patients is final oocyte maturation with a single bolus of GnRH-a. Understanding the impact of the dual trigger on the number of MII oocytes retrieved in patients undergoing EOC will improve the treatment protocols and allow for a better patient counselling.

Description:

Elective oocyte cryopreservation (EOC) has been gaining increasing importance in the last few years, driven by the widespread information regarding the concept of 'age-related fertility decline', as well as the availability of efficient contraception and women's increasing educational and professional aspirations. Considering the similar clinical outcomes regarding live birth rate after vitrified-warmed and fresh oocytes and the proven cost-effectiveness of this approach, oocyte banking is now considered an efficient technique in assisted reproduction.

Previous studies have shown that both patient's age and the number of oocytes retrieved have a significant impact on the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) in patients undergoing EOC, highlighting the importance of maximizing oocyte yield in these patients.

In all these former reports, final follicular maturation was triggered by one bolus of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or, following recent trends in clinical practice, by a single bolus of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone agonist (GnRH-a).

More recently, the concomitant administration of both GnRH-a and a bolus of HCG prior to oocyte retrieval (dual trigger) has been proposed as a new strategy for final follicular maturation, aiming to improve oocyte and embryo quality . When compared to HCG trigger, the dual trigger adds the more physiologic follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) peak provided by GnRH-a. With this approach, several studies have reported an increase in the number of MII oocytes retrieved, as well as in the number of good quality embryos and improved pregnancy outcomes in different subpopulations of infertile patients.

Nowadays, the standard of care in patients undergoing a freeze-all approach, either for oocyte or embryo cryopreservation, is final follicular maturation with GnRH-a due to its more physiologic and shorter surge of both LH and FSH, terminating 24h after its onset, and reducing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). So far, no study has compared the dual trigger approach to the use of a single bolus of GnRH-a. By adding HCG activity and, therefore, generating higher intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation, an amplification of the steroidogenic response of the pre-ovulatory follicle might be achieved with the dual trigger when compared to the GnRH-a trigger alone.

Therefore, the investigators set out to perform this randomized controlled trial aiming to compare, for the first time, the dual trigger and the GnRH-a trigger regarding the number of MII oocytes retrieved in patients undergoing EOC.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 136
• Est. completion date: April 25, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: April 25, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Able and willing to sign the Patient Consent Form and adhere to study visitation schedule

• antral follicle count (AFC) <20

• Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) =3ng/ml (AMH result of up to one year will be valid)

• Age >=18 and =40 years

• BMI >18 and <30 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Medically indicated fertility preservation

• AFC = 20

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) according to the Rotterdam criteria

• FSH = 20

• History of untreated autoimmune, endocrine or metabolic disorders

• Contraindication for hormonal treatment

• Recent history of severe disease requiring regular treatment (clinically significant concurrent medical condition that could compromise subject safety or interfered with the trial assessment).

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Infertility

Intervention

Drug:
• Ovulation triggering with GnRH-a+rhCG
recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) 225-300 IU (Gonal-F®/Puregon®/ Ovaleap®/Rekovelle®) Micronized progesterone 200mg (Utrogestan®) Ovulation trigger: Triptorelin 0.2 mg (Decapeptyl®) + Recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (rhCG) 250µg (Ovitrelle®)
• Ovulation triggering with GnRH-a
rFSH 225-300 IU (Gonal-F®/Puregon®/Ovaleap®/ Rekovelle®) Micronized progesterone 200mg (Utrogestan®) Ovulation trigger: Triptorelin 0.2 mg (Decapeptyl®)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Spain	Hospital Universitario Quiron Dexeus	Barcelona

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Fundación Santiago Dexeus Font

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Spain, 

References & Publications (18)

Casarini L, Lispi M, Longobardi S, Milosa F, La Marca A, Tagliasacchi D, Pignatti E, Simoni M. LH and hCG action on the same receptor results in quantitatively and qualitatively different intracellular signalling. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e46682. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046682. Epub 2012 Oct 5. — View Citation

Cobo A, Garcia-Velasco J, Domingo J, Pellicer A, Remohi J. Elective and Onco-fertility preservation: factors related to IVF outcomes. Hum Reprod. 2018 Dec 1;33(12):2222-2231. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dey321. — View Citation

Cobo A, Garcia-Velasco JA, Coello A, Domingo J, Pellicer A, Remohi J. Oocyte vitrification as an efficient option for elective fertility preservation. Fertil Steril. 2016 Mar;105(3):755-764.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.11.027. Epub 2015 Dec 10. — View Citation

Devine K, Mumford SL, Goldman KN, Hodes-Wertz B, Druckenmiller S, Propst AM, Noyes N. Baby budgeting: oocyte cryopreservation in women delaying reproduction can reduce cost per live birth. Fertil Steril. 2015 Jun;103(6):1446-53.e1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.02.029. Epub 2015 Mar 23. — View Citation

Ding N, Liu X, Jian Q, Liang Z, Wang F. Dual trigger of final oocyte maturation with a combination of GnRH agonist and hCG versus a hCG alone trigger in GnRH antagonist cycle for in vitro fertilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2017 Nov;218:92-98. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2017.09.004. Epub 2017 Sep 14. — View Citation

Doyle JO, Richter KS, Lim J, Stillman RJ, Graham JR, Tucker MJ. Successful elective and medically indicated oocyte vitrification and warming for autologous in vitro fertilization, with predicted birth probabilities for fertility preservation according to number of cryopreserved oocytes and age at retrieval. Fertil Steril. 2016 Feb;105(2):459-66.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.10.026. Epub 2015 Nov 18. — View Citation

Fauser BC, de Jong D, Olivennes F, Wramsby H, Tay C, Itskovitz-Eldor J, van Hooren HG. Endocrine profiles after triggering of final oocyte maturation with GnRH agonist after cotreatment with the GnRH antagonist ganirelix during ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Feb;87(2):709-15. doi: 10.1210/jcem.87.2.8197. — View Citation

Golan A, Weissman A. Symposium: Update on prediction and management of OHSS. A modern classification of OHSS. Reprod Biomed Online. 2009 Jul;19(1):28-32. doi: 10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60042-9. — View Citation

Goldman RH, Racowsky C, Farland LV, Munne S, Ribustello L, Fox JH. Predicting the likelihood of live birth for elective oocyte cryopreservation: a counseling tool for physicians and patients. Hum Reprod. 2017 Apr 1;32(4):853-859. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dex008. — View Citation

Griffin D, Feinn R, Engmann L, Nulsen J, Budinetz T, Benadiva C. Dual trigger with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and standard dose human chorionic gonadotropin to improve oocyte maturity rates. Fertil Steril. 2014 Aug;102(2):405-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.04.028. Epub 2014 May 17. — View Citation

Haas J, Bassil R, Samara N, Zilberberg E, Mehta C, Orvieto R, Casper RF. GnRH agonist and hCG (dual trigger) versus hCG trigger for final follicular maturation: a double-blinded, randomized controlled study. Hum Reprod. 2020 Jul 1;35(7):1648-1654. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deaa107. — View Citation

Lin MH, Wu FS, Lee RK, Li SH, Lin SY, Hwu YM. Dual trigger with combination of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and human chorionic gonadotropin significantly improves the live-birth rate for normal responders in GnRH-antagonist cycles. Fertil Steril. 2013 Nov;100(5):1296-302. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.07.1976. Epub 2013 Aug 28. — View Citation

Mills M, Rindfuss RR, McDonald P, te Velde E; ESHRE Reproduction and Society Task Force. Why do people postpone parenthood? Reasons and social policy incentives. Hum Reprod Update. 2011 Nov-Dec;17(6):848-60. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmr026. Epub 2011 Jun 7. — View Citation

Montoya-Botero P, Martinez F, Rodriguez-Purata J, Rodriguez I, Coroleu B, Polyzos NP. The effect of type of oral contraceptive pill and duration of use on fresh and cumulative live birth rates in IVF/ICSI cycles. Hum Reprod. 2020 Apr 28;35(4):826-836. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dez299. Erratum In: Hum Reprod. 2021 Mar 18;36(4):1159-1161. — View Citation

Orvieto R. Triggering final follicular maturation: hCG, GnRH-agonist, or both, when and to whom? J Assist Reprod Genet. 2017 Sep;34(9):1231-1232. doi: 10.1007/s10815-017-0982-7. Epub 2017 Jun 27. No abstract available. — View Citation

Ovarian Stimulation TEGGO, Bosch E, Broer S, Griesinger G, Grynberg M, Humaidan P, Kolibianakis E, Kunicki M, La Marca A, Lainas G, Le Clef N, Massin N, Mastenbroek S, Polyzos N, Sunkara SK, Timeva T, Toyli M, Urbancsek J, Vermeulen N, Broekmans F. ESHRE guideline: ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSIdagger. Hum Reprod Open. 2020 May 1;2020(2):hoaa009. doi: 10.1093/hropen/hoaa009. eCollection 2020. Erratum In: Hum Reprod Open. 2020 Dec 29;2020(4):hoaa067. — View Citation

van Loendersloot LL, Moolenaar LM, Mol BW, Repping S, van der Veen F, Goddijn M. Expanding reproductive lifespan: a cost-effectiveness study on oocyte freezing. Hum Reprod. 2011 Nov;26(11):3054-60. doi: 10.1093/humrep/der284. Epub 2011 Sep 6. — View Citation

Youssef MA, Van der Veen F, Al-Inany HG, Mochtar MH, Griesinger G, Nagi Mohesen M, Aboulfoutouh I, van Wely M. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist versus HCG for oocyte triggering in antagonist-assisted reproductive technology. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Oct 31;(10):CD008046. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008046.pub4. — View Citation

* Note: There are 18 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events		Until 15 days after the end of ovarian stimulation
Primary	Number of mature oocytes (MIIs) retrieved		7 -20 days from initiation of ovarian stimulation
Secondary	Number of oocytes retrieved		7 -20 days from initiation of ovarian stimulation
Secondary	Change in Progesterone values		Day 1 of ovarian stimulation, Day of HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl administration and Day after HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl
Secondary	Change in Estradiol values		Day 1 of ovarian stimulation, Day of HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl administration and Day after HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl
Secondary	Change in FSH values		Day 1 of ovarian stimulation, Day of HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl administration and Day after HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl
Secondary	Change in LH values		Day 1 of ovarian stimulation, Day of HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl administration and Day after HCG/HCG+Decapeptyl
Secondary	Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) (percent)		Until 15 days after the end of ovarian stimulation

External Links

•   Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction Hospital Universitari Quiron Dexeus