The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / New Osteoporosis Drugs Show Promise in Therapy Pipeline

New Osteoporosis Drugs Show Promise in Therapy Pipeline

June 1, 2014 • By Thomas R. Collins

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

You Might Also Like
  • Women on Osteoporosis Drugs Still Need Bone Density Screenings
  • Novel Bone Drug Promising in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
  • Teriparatide to Denosumab Switch Helpful in Osteoporosis
Explore This Issue
June 2014
Also By This Author
  • Bone Density Concerns: Guidance on Tackling Fracture Risk in CKD
State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

CHICAGO—During the ACR’s 2014 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Beatrice Edwards, MD, MPH, associate professor and geriatrician in the Department of General Internal Medicine at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, said rheumatologists have reason to be optimistic about the prospects of a new treatment for osteoporosis.

Odanacatib

Bisphosphonates inhibit the production of osteoclasts, thus interrupting the normal cycle of bone resorption and formation.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“We’ve all heard the concerns with bisphosphonates, and the sporadic adverse events have really raised fear in the community,” Dr. Edwards said. One recent study found as many as 20% of patients discontinue their treatment with bisphosphonates.

According to Dr. Edwards, a new drug may soon offer an alternative to bisphosphonates. Odanacatib is a cathepsin-K inhibitor, a mechanism of action that reduces bone resorption without hindering bone formation, which is a primary problem with bisphosphonates.

“Cathepsin-K inhibitors only work on the enzyme and won’t affect the number or viability of osteoclasts,” Dr. Edwards said.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

High-resolution quantitative computed tomography imaging of primates given odanacatib show improvements in the biomechanical strength of bone, Dr. Edwards said.

The Evidence

In a three-year, randomized controlled trial, the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was up nearly 7%,1 “which is greater than what we tend to see in bisphosphonates, so it’s a very robust agent,” Dr. Edwards said.

For the hip, the density increase was almost 4%.

“At all sites studied, this is an agent that will produce an increase in bone density,” Dr. Edwards said.

Dr. Edwards said one concern with bone-resorption medications is that they might linger in the body long after patients stop using them. But that does not appear to be a problem with odanacatib. Graphs over time bear this out, she said.

“You see the bone-resorption markers are down [when use of the drug begins],” she said. “And there’s a discontinuation at 24 months. You see the bone-resorption markers shoot up. What this is telling us is that the drug doesn’t stay in bone very long.”

This is a sharp contrast from bisphosphonates, she noted.

“If you were to do this on bisphosphonates and you treated people for two years and you monitored their bone resorption markers, you would find that they persist low even after discontinuing the drug,” she said.

Before approval [of odanacatib] by the FDA, investigators will probably have to show that the drug prevents vertebral fractures, which has not yet been demonstrated.

“We are concerned with the drugs persisting in the skeleton,” she said. But with odanacatib, it appears that the metabolism of the bone returns to where it was originally. “This is a very welcome finding. … When you stop it, within two months, you’re starting to see an increase in bone resorption.”

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Biologics & Biosimilars, Conditions, Drug Updates Tagged With: Beatrice Edwards, Biologics, cathepsin-K inhibitor, Collins, drug, odanacatib, Osteoporosis, patient care, rheumatologist, romosozumabIssue: June 2014

You Might Also Like:
  • Women on Osteoporosis Drugs Still Need Bone Density Screenings
  • Novel Bone Drug Promising in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
  • Teriparatide to Denosumab Switch Helpful in Osteoporosis
  • Combination Therapy Bests Monotherapy in Severe Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.