ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07159880PROLEx-PCOSUpdated Nov 28, 2025

Letrozole Extended vs Traditional Therapy for Ovulation Induction in Women With PCOS (PROLEx-PCOS)

An interventional study of Traditional Letrozole Therapy and Extended Letrozole Therapy in PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), Infertility and Anovulation, sponsored by GABRIEL MONTEIRO PINHEIRO. Recruiting at 1 site in Brazil. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-11-28.

Sponsored by GABRIEL MONTEIRO PINHEIRO · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jul 2026, 3 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Sep 2025; still recruiting 1 year 2 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 40 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the efficacy and safety of extended letrozole therapy (5 mg/day for 10 days) versus standard letrozole therapy (5 mg/day for 5 days) for ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of 84 women aged 18-40 years will be randomized into two groups. Ovulation will be monitored by transvaginal ultrasound and confirmed with urinary LH testing and/or corpus luteum presence. The primary outcome is ovulation rate, while secondary outcomes include number and size of mature follicles, clinical pregnancy rate, multiple pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, number of cycles until pregnancy, and incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

Read the detailed description

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder and one of the leading causes of anovulatory infertility worldwide. Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, has emerged as the preferred first-line pharmacological agent for ovulation induction in women with PCOS. Despite its widespread use, there is ongoing debate regarding the optimal duration of therapy to maximize ovulatory and pregnancy outcomes.

This randomized clinical trial is designed to evaluate whether an extended regimen of letrozole provides superior reproductive outcomes compared with the standard regimen. The extended protocol consists of daily administration of 5 mg letrozole from cycle day 2 through day 12, whereas the standard regimen involves 5 mg daily from cycle day 2 through day 6. Ovulatory response will be monitored through serial transvaginal ultrasound and biochemical markers of ovulation.

The trial aims to generate high-quality evidence on the efficacy and safety of extended letrozole therapy. The findings may inform future clinical guidelines on ovulation induction strategies in women with PCOS and contribute to optimizing treatment protocols for anovulatory infertility.

02

Conditions studied

  • PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
  • Infertility
  • Anovulation

Keywords

  • polycystic ovary syndrome
  • PCOS
  • Ovulation induction
  • Letrozole
  • Aromatase Inhibitor
  • Extended letrozole therapy
  • traditional letrozole therapy
  • standart letrozole therapy
  • infertility
  • anovulation
  • ovulation rate
  • pregnancy rate
03

In context

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

956 studies on the registry are indexed under Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; 176 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 70 across 697 interventional studies indexed under Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Browse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with GABRIEL MONTEIRO PINHEIRO as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 40 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Women aged 18 to 40 years;
  • between 18,5 and 31 kg/m2
  • Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) according to the Rotterdam criteria (2003) (presence of at least two of the following: oligo/anovulation, clinical and/or biochemical hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound);
  • Active desire for pregnancy at the time of enrollment;
  • Ability and willingness to provide written (ICF).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age \<18 or >40 years;
  • Presence of confirmed bilateral tubal factor, severe male factor infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, uncontrolled hyperprolactinemia or thyroid dysfunction);
  • Congenital or acquired uterine malformations;
  • History of gynecologic or breast cancer;
  • Known to, or for, letrozole;
  • Severe uncontrolled systemic disease (e.g., cardiovascular, renal, or hepatic disorders);
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding at the time of screening.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Traditional Letrozole Therapy

    Participants in this group will receive standard letrozole therapy for ovulation induction. Letrozole will be administered orally at a dose of 5 mg/day from cycle day 2 through cycle day 6 (5 consecutive days). Ovulation monitoring will be performed by transvaginal ultrasound and confirmed with urinary LH testing and/or corpus luteum visualization. This arm serves as the active comparator against the extended regimen for evaluating efficacy and safety outcomes.

    Drug: Traditional Letrozole Therapy

  • Experimental
    Extended Letrozole Therapy

    Participants in this group will receive extended letrozole therapy for ovulation induction. Letrozole will be administered orally at a dose of 5 mg/day from cycle day 2 through cycle day 12 (10 consecutive days). Ovulation monitoring will be performed by transvaginal ultrasound and confirmed with urinary LH testing and/or corpus luteum visualization. This arm will be compared with the standard regimen to assess differences in ovulation rate, follicular development, pregnancy outcomes, and safety.

    Drug: Extended Letrozole Therapy

Interventions

  • DrugTraditional Letrozole Therapy

    Traditional therapy group: 5 mg/day of letrozole for 5 days (cycle days 2-6).

  • DrugExtended Letrozole Therapy

    Extended therapy group: 5 mg/day of letrozole for 10 days (cycle days 2-12)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Ovulation rate

    Proportion of participants achieving ovulation, defined as the presence of a dominant follicle ≥18 mm on transvaginal ultrasound with confirmation by urinary LH surge and/or visualization of corpus luteum.

    Time frame: Assessed within one treatment cycle (up to 6 weeks from the start of medication).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Clinical Pregnancy Rate

    Proportion of participants achieving clinical pregnancy, defined as visualization of a gestational sac by transvaginal ultrasound.

    Time frame: Assessed within 8 weeks after the start of treatment.

  2. Number of Mature Follicles

    Number of follicles ≥18 mm observed by transvaginal ultrasound in the stimulated cycle.

    Time frame: Assessed during one treatment cycle (up to 6 weeks).

  3. Follicular Size

    Maximum diameter (in millimeters) of the leading follicle(s) observed by transvaginal ultrasound.

    Time frame: Assessed during one treatment cycle (up to 6 weeks).

  4. Miscarriage Rate

    Proportion of participants with spontaneous pregnancy loss within the first trimester (\<12 weeks of gestation).

    Time frame: Assessed up to 12 weeks of gestation.

  5. Multiple Pregnancy Rate

    Proportion of participants with multiple gestations, confirmed by transvaginal ultrasound.

    Time frame: Assessed within 8 weeks after the start of treatment.

  6. Incidence of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)

    Proportion of participants presenting clinical or ultrasound signs of OHSS during treatment.

    Time frame: Assessed within one treatment cycle (up to 6 weeks).

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Health Complex Dr Wladimir Arruda
    São Paulo, São Paulo 04829-310, Brazil
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Data obtained through this study may be shared with qualified researchers with academic interest in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovulation induction, or related reproductive medicine topics. Any shared data will be de-identified and coded, with no personal health information (PHI) included. Approval of the request by the principal investigator and execution of all applicable agreements (e.g., data use agreement or material transfer agreement) will be required prior to data sharing.

Supporting information: Informed consent form

Time frame: Data requests can be submitted starting 9 months after article publication and the data will be made accessible for up to 24 months. Extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Access criteria: Access to trial IPD can be requested by qualified researchers engaging in independent scientific research, and will be provided only in accordance with participants' informed consent (ICF). For more information or to submit a request, please contact katherinereimao000@gmail.com

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Sep 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2026, 10 months after the start.

Of 202 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, half reached primary completion within 18 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 39. This study's planned 10 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 217 studies reached it within 18 months; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 39.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 29, 2025
First posted
Sep 8, 2025
StartActual
Sep 1, 2025
Primary completionEst.
Jul 30, 2026
CompletionEst.
Jul 30, 2026
Last update
Nov 28, 2025
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 28, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07159880
Lead sponsor
GABRIEL MONTEIRO PINHEIRO
Responsible party
GABRIEL MONTEIRO PINHEIRO (Study Director, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Wladimir Arruda; Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Santo Amaro (UNISA), EMBRIONARE) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Sep 8, 2025
Start date
Sep 1, 2025
Primary completion
Jul 30, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 30, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Nov 28, 2025

Study contacts

Katherine Ann R Miller, Medical student
Contact
katherinereimao000@gmail.com
+55(11) 964098358
Gabriel M Pinheiro, MD
Contact
Drg.monteiro@hotmail.com
+55(11) 97130-7240
Gabriel M Pinheiro, MD
study director · Universidade Santo Amaro
Katherine Ann R Miller, Medical student
principal investigator · Universisty of Santo Amaro

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion