Novel therapies for osteoporosis

Osteoporosis remains a significant clinical problem despite effective therapies. Many patients cannot or will not take currently available therapies. For this reason research continues in search of more effective and more tolerable agents. Anabolic agents offer a unique mechanism of action. The anabolic agents parathyroid hormone and strontium will be discussed. The investigational bisphosphonates ibandronate, minodronate and zoledronic acid may offer the advantage of less frequent dosing. Arzoxifene, bazedoxifene, lasofoxifene, MDL-103,323 and ospemifene are investigational selective oestrogen receptor modulators shown to be effective in animal studies and are now in clinical studies. Tibolone is a tissue-specific steroid that is currently used in Europe for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Multiple studies have shown efficacy in improving bone mineral density, but no fracture studies have been conducted to date. While studies of the effect of isoflavones on bone mineral density have been encouraging, a large, multi-centre study in Europe showed no effect of isoflavones on fractures. The newly described agent osteoprotegerin has been shown in early studies to inhibit bone turnover. Other agents with unique mechanisms of action in early development include cathepsin K inhibitors, integrin receptor inhibitors, nitrosylated nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and Src inhibitors. The efficacy of statins in bone continues to be debated with no prospective, randomised studies yet to confirm the suggestion of benefit seen in epidemiological studies.