Amgen got a badly needed boost with its announcement that its most promising experimental therapy, denosumab, significantly increased bone mineral density in a Phase III trial. The drug, delivered as a twice yearly injection, outperformed Fosamax in a study that was wrapped in January. This new study focused on the outcomes of 332 patients with post-menopausal osteoporosis.
"The effect of denosumab on wrist BMD [bone mineral density], reinforced by the BMD increases at the total body and hip regions, suggests denosumab has a positive effect on highly cortical sites," said Javier San Martin, global development lead for the denosumab osteoporosis program.
Data on another late-stage study evaluating denosumab's impact on fracture risk reduction in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis is due later this year.
- see Amgen's release on the trial
- check out the report in the Wall Street Journal