Wyeth Pharmaceuticals reported promising results for bazedoxifene from a placebo-controlled Phase 3 study. The drug, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), is under clinical investigation for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The trial of bazedoxifene 20 mg indicated a significant reduction in new vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Anika Therapeutics Inc, a leader in products for tissue protection, healing and repair based on hyaluronic acid (HA) technology, received approval from Canadian regulators to market Monovisc, an injected treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The product is already being marketed in the European Union (EU). Monovisc is the only single-injection visco-supplement approved for the relief of joint pain in all synovial joints.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, osteoporosis drug denosumab prevented fractures and strengthened bones in men taking hormone therapy for prostate cancer. The study indicated that Denosumab reduced spinal fractures in prostate cancer patients by 62%, as compared to a placebo, and increased spinal bone mineral density.

An osteoporosis drug proven to save lives after hip fractures may do so by strengthening the body’s immune system, according to geriatrics researchers at Duke University Medical Center. In 2007, Duke researchers reported a 28% reduction in death among patients who received zoledronic acid (Reclast) within 90 days of surgery for a hip fracture. Zoledronic acid is a yearly intravenous injection of bisphosphonate that inhibits the progression of bone loss. The researchers also reported that the 2,111 people who participated in the study were 35% less likely to suffer another fracture.

According to osteoporosis research published in the PLoS One journal, low-dose aspirin can decrease the activity of cells that breakdown bone, while increasing the activity of cell that build up bone. Recent evidence also suggests a role of a decline in bone-forming cells in osteoporosis, Dr. Songtao Shi from University of Southern California School of Dentistry noted.

Studies conducted by Canadian researchers point out that patients of heart failure are four times more prone to fracture risk. This is the first study of its kind that links heart failure to fracture risk. Common factors between osteoporosis and heart failure were also highlighted. These include old age, smoking, female sex and type-2 diabetes. The study has also identified areas that need improvement immediately such as adequate screening.

Findings of a randomized and controlled trial conducted by researchers from New Mexico Clinical Research & Osteoporosis Center in Albuquerque suggest that once-monthly oral ibandronate for a year can improve spine and hip bone mineral density in postmenopausal women in the age group of 55 to 80 years. To measure the strength, quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were used. The study was supported by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline.

Merck & Co., Inc. and Japan Tobacco Inc. have entered into a worldwide licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of JTT-305, an oral osteoanabolic (bone growth stimulating) agent to be used in the treatment of osteoporosis. JTT-305 is in its investigational stage at the moment. Under the agreement, Japan Tobacco will be receiving an upfront payment, along with additional milestone payments and royalties from sales. Currently in Phase II of its clinical trial, the oral calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) antagonist is being tested in Japan for its potential to increase bone density.

The drug Teriparatide offers new hope for osteoporosis patients. It contains a natural human hormone’s synthetic form that helps in treating bone-thinning osteoporosis. Even patients who have already been treated with Fosamax (alendronate) and Zometa (zoledronate) might benefit from Teriparatide. The earlier treatment methods treated osteoporosis by blocking the cells that break down bones whereas Teriparatide works by enhancing cells that build bones.

Radius Health has announced the completion of enrollment of patients for the Phase II clinical trial of BA058, the company’s bone anatomic candidate for osteoporosis. The trial will study the capability of BA058 to build new bones in postmenopausal women. The clinical trial will study 244 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are otherwise healthy.