New Drug Said to Reverse Bone Damage
Nov. 27 -- As some people age, their bones become so porous and brittle that they begin to look like Swiss cheese. Not surprisingly, these bones are also much more likely to break
Until now, medications have been effective primarily at slowing the erosion of bone. A new FDA-approved drug, to be sold as "Forteo," actually grows significant amounts of new bone.
"It dramatically increases bone density," said Dr. Felcia Cosman of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. "It increases the diameter of bone, and it reconnects the disconnected pieces of bone."
In short, it appears to reverse much of the damage from osteoporosis.
According to Dr. Ethel Siris of Columbia University, the drug actually activates bone-forming cells.
"It brings more of them into the picture," she said. "It allows them to live longer and do their job, and as consequence, more bone is made."
Study Finds Decrease in Spine Fractures
In a recent study of women with severe osteoporosis, those given the drug saw spine fractures drop 65 percent, while other fractures were down 53 percent.
"There's no other drug currently available which can produce such dramatic effects against fracture in such severely affected patients," said Cosman.
Forteo requires patients to give themselves daily injections for a year-and-a-half, using pen-like needles much like those used by diabetics. It will be prescribed to people with severe osteoporosis or those who have already suffered a fracture.
The new drug will also come with a warning, that some rats injected with extremely high doses of the medication developed a rare bone cancer. But the FDA says the tumors were not seen in any of the 2,000 men and women who used the drug for up to a year-and-a-half.
Doctors say the new drug should be in pharmacies within the next few weeks.
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