MON-LB003 Clinical Case Series of Augmented Fertility in Females After Administration of an Amino Acid Blend That Enhances Release of Human Growth Hormone

Supplementation with adjuvant therapies, including growth hormone (hGH), is commonly used to improve fertility treatment outcomes. hGH is important for normal female fertility; low hGH has been associated with causes of infertility and impaired fertility, including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), and advanced maternal age. A novel, low dose, orally administered amino acid blend has been previously shown in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial to produce a statistically significant increase in endogenous hGH secretion. In this clinical case series, we report outcomes in 7 women with infertility or impaired fertility and conditions associated with low hGH who administered the amino acid blend during fertility treatment (n=5) or timed intercourse/spontaneous pregnancy (n=2). Medical history included conditions associated with impaired fertility and low hGH: endometriosis (n=3), PCOS (n=2), and poor response to ovarian stimulation/history of failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) (n=3). The amino acid blend (containing 2.9 g of L-lysine, L-arginine, oxo-proline, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, L-glutamine, and schizonepeta) was administered daily on an empty stomach. Outcomes included embryo quality and success of embryo transfer (for IVF) and successful pregnancy/live births. Mean±SD age was 33±5 years (range 27-38) and BMI was 27±7 kg/m(2) (range 21-37). Time to pregnancy ranged from 1 week to 9 months (median 3 months) prior to egg retrieval for IVF (n=4), intrauterine insemination (n=1), or timed intercourse/spontaneous pregnancy (n=2). For women with a history of failed IVF (n=3), there was an improvement in oocyte retrieval, a higher fertilization rate, and a greater number of high-quality embryos compared to previous IVF attempts. There were 2 twin pregnancies (both following IVF). All 7 pregnancies resulted in live births. Consistent with previous studies, the amino acid blend was well tolerated; no adverse events were observed. We report a case series of successful pregnancy in 7 women with conditions associated with low hGH including PCOS, endometriosis, and poor response to ovarian stimulation/history of failed IVF who administered the amino acid blend concomitant with fertility treatment or who reported spontaneous pregnancy. This may represent a potential low-risk and cost-effective treatment to improve IVF success and increase pregnancy rates in individuals with infertility or impaired fertility.