Efficacy and safety of hetrombopag, a novel thrombopoietin receptor agonist, in children and adolescents with immune thrombocytopenia: results from a randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial.

backgroundPrimary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common acquired bleeding disorder in children, and management is challenging when first-line therapy fails. Hetrombopag is an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-RA). This phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated its efficacy and safety in children and adolescents with ITP who had an inadequate response or relapse after prior treatment.

methodsChildren and adolescents aged 6-17 years were randomized 2:1 to receive once-daily hetrombopag (initial dose 2.5 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week open-label hetrombopag extension. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a platelet count ≥50 × 10⁹/L at Week 10. The key secondary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a sustained platelet response, defined as a platelet count ≥50 × 10⁹/L maintained for ≥6 weeks without rescue therapy between Weeks 5 and 12.

resultsEighty-eight patients were randomized (hetrombopag, n=57; placebo, n=31). At Week 10, 61.4% of patients in the hetrombopag group achieved the primary endpoint versus 9.7% in the placebo group (absolute difference, 52.7 percentage points; 95% CI, 35.9-69.5; P<0.0001). Sustained response was achieved in 43.9% of hetrombopag-treated patients and 0% of placebo-treated patients (absolute difference, 43.7 percentage points; 95% CI, 28.5-58.9; P<0.0001). Hetrombopag also reduced the need for rescue therapy (21.1% vs 45.2% during double-blind treatment). During the double-blind period, the most common adverse events with hetrombopag were upper respiratory tract infection (57.9% vs 45.2% with placebo) and epistaxis (19.3% vs 22.6%). Alanine aminotransferase elevations occurred in 7.0% of patients on hetrombopag and 0% on placebo. Over 24 weeks, treatment-related hepatotoxicity events (liver enzyme elevations or hepatic function abnormalities) occurred in 17.5% (10/57) of patients receiving continuous hetrombopag; all were grade 1-2 and none led to treatment discontinuation.

conclusionsOnce-daily hetrombopag improved platelet responses, reduced rescue therapy use, and provided durable platelet control with an acceptable safety profile in children and adolescents with ITP. These findings support hetrombopag as an additional oral TPO-RA option for patients with inadequate response or relapse after first-line therapy.

trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04737850.