Antibody increases bone density in postmenopausal women
Bone mineral density in postmenopausal women can be increased by a human monoclonal antibody, research suggests (New England Journal of
Medicine 2006;354:821).
In a study of 412 women with low bone mineral density, researchers found
that 12 months’ treatment with denosumab increased bone mineral
density by 3.0–6.7 per cent at the lumbar spine, 1.9–3.6
per cent at the hip and 0.4–1.3 at the distal third of the radius
(as compared with changes of +4.6 per cent, +2.1 and –0.5, repectively,
with alendronate and –0.8, –0.6 and –2.0 with placebo).
Low adherence rates for osteoporosis therapies suggest that new treatment
approaches are needed, the authors argue, and denosumab, which is being
developed by Amgen, has shown potential in a phase I dose-escalation
study, they add. Denosumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that
binds to the primary mediator of osteoclast differentiation (the receptor
activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand) with high affinity and specificity.
“By mimicking the effect of endogenous osteoprotegrin, denosumab …
inhibited bone reabsorption with a rapid onset of action and a sustained
but reversible effect,” the researchers explain. “These results
support continued investigation of denosumab for use in the treatment
and prevention of osteoporosis and other diseases associated with bone
loss.” |
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