In short
Luteinising hormone (LH) is a naturally occurring hormone that plays a central role in reproduction. In assisted reproduction, medicines that mimic or trigger LH are used to help eggs mature and to time ovulation. The clinical trial listed here is a Phase 3 study in 126 women with infertility and low ovarian reserve, comparing three methods of triggering ovulation before in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with fresh embryo transfer.
Luteinising hormone, often shortened to LH, is a hormone made by the pituitary gland in the brain. In women it works together with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to control the menstrual cycle, and a surge of LH is what triggers ovulation, the release of a mature egg from the ovary. In fertility treatment, medicines that act like LH or that trigger the body's own LH surge are used to control the timing of ovulation so that eggs can be collected for in vitro fertilisation.
Table of contents
Key points
- Luteinising hormone is a hormone that helps control ovulation and is used in fertility treatment.
- The registered trial is a Phase 3 study in 126 women with infertility and low ovarian reserve.
- The study compares three methods of triggering ovulation during IVF with fresh embryo transfer.
- Its main measure is the number of mature eggs (MII oocytes) collected at egg retrieval.
- The trial is currently authorised but not yet reporting results.
What is luteinising hormone?
Luteinising hormone is a protein-based hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland. It belongs to the gonadotropin family of hormones, which also includes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). In women of reproductive age, LH has two main jobs: it supports the final maturation of eggs inside the ovarian follicles, and a sharp rise in LH mid-cycle, called the LH surge, triggers ovulation.
In the clinical trial listed on this page, luteinising hormone activity is provided indirectly. The study uses a medicine called follitropin delta (Rekovelle) together with an injection of hCG (Ovitrelle), which acts on the same receptor as LH, to trigger ovulation. The trial record describes this as adding follitropin delta to hCG ovulation triggering.
Luteinising hormone is not listed in the trial record as an authorised medicine under that name. In clinical practice, LH activity is often provided by hCG, which binds to the same receptor and mimics the natural LH surge. The trial listed here does not use LH itself, but studies a treatment strategy built around the LH-triggering pathway.
How does luteinising hormone work?
LH works by binding to the LH receptor on cells in the ovary. In the first part of the menstrual cycle, LH helps the follicle, the small sac that contains the egg, to grow and produce oestrogen. Around the middle of the cycle, rising oestrogen levels trigger a large release of LH from the pituitary gland. This LH surge causes the follicle to rupture and release the mature egg, a process called ovulation.
Research has shown that the LH surge depends on a corresponding release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus in the brain. Medicines called GnRH antagonists can block this release and delay the LH surge, which is useful in fertility treatment because it allows doctors to control exactly when ovulation happens. In assisted reproduction, the timing of egg collection is planned around a controlled ovulation trigger, which may be hCG, a GnRH agonist, or both.
In the registered trial, the study compares three ways of triggering ovulation: hCG alone, hCG combined with follitropin delta, and a GnRH agonist called triptorelin (Decapeptyl). All three approaches aim to produce a predictable LH-like signal so that mature eggs can be collected.
Which conditions is it used or studied for?
Luteinising hormone activity is used in the treatment of infertility, particularly in assisted reproduction techniques such as IVF. The registered trial studies women with infertility and low ovarian reserve, meaning the ovaries contain fewer eggs than expected for the woman's age.
- Infertility with low ovarian reserve — the condition studied in the registered trial, where the goal is to collect as many mature eggs as possible during IVF.
- Ovulation induction — medicines that act on the LH pathway, such as hCG, are used to trigger ovulation in women who do not ovulate regularly.
- Luteinising hormone deficiency — a condition in which the body does not produce enough LH, which can affect puberty, fertility and hormone levels. Treatment depends on the cause and on whether pregnancy is desired.
How is luteinising hormone given?
In the registered trial, all the medicines that act on the LH pathway are given by subcutaneous injection, meaning an injection under the skin. The trial uses several injected products:
- Ovitrelle (hCG 250 micrograms) — a pre-filled pen used as the ovulation trigger.
- Decapeptyl (triptorelin 0.1 mg) — a GnRH agonist given by injection.
- Rekovelle (follitropin delta) — a pre-filled pen used to stimulate follicle growth.
- Orgalutran (ganirelix 0.25 mg) — a GnRH antagonist used to prevent premature ovulation.
Luteinising hormone itself is a protein hormone. When LH activity is needed in treatment, it is usually provided as an injection of hCG, which acts on the same receptor. The trial record does not describe an oral form of any of these medicines.
What do the clinical trials show?
The clinical trial listed on this page is a Phase 3 study. Phase 3 means the treatment is being tested in a larger group of people to confirm how well it works and how safe it is. The trial is currently authorised, meaning it has been approved to start, but no results are yet available.
The study plans to include 126 women with infertility and low ovarian reserve who are undergoing IVF with fresh embryo transfer. The main measure, called the primary endpoint, is the number of metaphase II (MII) oocytes retrieved at egg collection. MII oocytes are eggs that have reached the mature stage and are suitable for fertilisation.
The study compares three ovulation-triggering strategies. One group receives hCG alone as the trigger. A second group receives hCG with the addition of follitropin delta at the time of triggering. A third group receives a GnRH agonist, triptorelin, as the trigger. The aim is to find out whether adding follitropin delta to hCG triggering increases the number of mature eggs collected in women with low ovarian reserve.
Because the trial is authorised but not completed, there are no efficacy or safety results to report from this study yet. The information available describes the design and the planned measurements.
What side effects are known?
The supplementary sources provided for this page do not contain a list of side effects for luteinising hormone itself. The clinical trial record does not yet report side effects, as the study is authorised but not completed. For this reason, no side effect information is included here.