NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Romosozumab shows smaller benefits for increasing bone mineral density (BMD) in the second year of treatment compared to the first, new research suggests. The extension of a phase 2 study in postmenopausal women with low bone mass also found BMD decreased sharply when patients on romosozumab were switched to placebo after two…
Denosumab May Work Better Than Risedronate for Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The RANKL inhibitor denosumab is superior to the bisphosphonate risedronate in increasing bone-mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine in patients just starting or continuing steroid therapy, according to 12-month results of a 24-month randomized controlled study. “Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is the most common form of secondary osteoporosis and increases the risk of…
Abaloparatide Appears Safe, Effective for Boosting BMD in Women 80 & Up
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Abaloparatide appears to be a safe and effective drug for increasing bone mineral density (BMD) in women 80 and older, new research shows. The study is a post hoc analysis of the Abaloparatide Comparator Trial in Vertebral Endpoints (ACTIVE) trial, which found patients who received abaloparatide subcutaneously for 18 months had increased…
Denosumab Boosts BMD after Teriparatide Treatment for Osteoporosis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—After discontinuation of teriparatide, increases in bone mineral density (BMD) are greater with denosumab than with zoledronic acid, but whether that translates into a decreased fragility fracture risk remains unknown, researchers say. Teriparatide was the first anabolic treatment approved for osteoporosis in the U.S. It has been shown to increase BMD, and…
Changes in Bone Markers Predict Fracture Reduction with Anti-Resorptive Drug
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Treatment-related changes in bone formation markers predict vertebral-fracture reduction with anti-resorptive drug therapy, according to a meta-regression analysis of 14 clinical trials. “These results may be useful for the development of new osteoporosis treatments or when considering new populations or dosing regimens with existing treatments,” Dr. Douglas C. Bauer from the University…
Vitamin D, Calcium Supplements May Not Lower Fracture Risk
(Reuters Health)—Older adults who take vitamin D and calcium are no less likely to break their hips or other bones than peers who don’t use these supplements, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from 33 previous trials with a total of more than 51,000 people aged 50 or older who were living in the…
Rheumatology Drug Updates: Hip Fracture Rates After Bisphosphonate Drug Holidays, Plus More on Golimumab, Ustekinumab
Bisphosphonate Drug Holidays Drug holidays are common for patients on bisphosphonate therapy. Often, these breaks in treatment are related to known U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings and drug class adverse effects. Currently, data on fracture risk related to drug holidays are limited. In recent research highlighted at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting ,…
SIRT1: A Therapeutic Target for Osteoporosis?
New research has found the sirtuin family of proteins may be a positive regulator of bone mass. In the study, pharmacological activation of SIRT1 in mice resulted in increased bone mass, suggesting the pharmacological activation of SIRT1 may protect against osteoporosis…
Bisphosphonate Drug Holiday & Hip Fracture Risk
New research found women on bisphosphonate therapy who take a drug holiday experience a higher rate of hip fracture…
Switching from Bisphosphonates to Teriparatide May Improve BMD in Women with RA
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Switching women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from oral bisphosphonates to teriparatide increases bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score, according to a new report. Researchers in Japan conducted an 18-month observational study of more than 175 women with RA (mean age: 66) who remained on oral bisphosphonates, switched to denosumab (DMAb),…