Osteoporosis, the "silent killer" will affect one in three women over 50 and one in five men over 50. And as the elderly population grows worldwide, by 2050 the number of women and men that will suffer from osteoporosis-related hip fractures is set to increase by 240% and 310% respectively. But with increased awareness and a growing arsenal of therapeutic interventions and osteoporosis medicines, there is hope that these numbers can be reduced. This week, at the International Osteoporosis Foundation's World Congress on Osteoporosis, in Toronto, Canada, researchers reported on some newer and some older treatments for osteoporosis.

In three separate presentations, researchers report that strontium ranelate, a relative newcomer to the clinic, strengthens bone architecture and continues to protect bones for at least five years. Other scientists showed that bisphosphonates, the most widely prescribed treatment for osteoporosis, remain in the bone mineral and may continue to provide benefit for many years longer than previously thought. For hormone therapy there is some mixed news. While back-to-back treatments with parathyroid hormone and an estrogen mimic helps protect against osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, a different type of hormone treatment--hormone replacement therapy--has been linked to a slightly increased risk for stroke.

The Strength of Strontium Ranelate--Protects Bones for at least Five Years, Remodels Bone Architecture In previous clinical trials strontium ranelate has proven effective in preventing fractures for up to three years. But according to new data presented today at the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis in Toronto, Canada that window of opportunity can now be extended to at least five years.

Jean-Yves Reginster, Professor of Epidemiology, Public Health and Health Economics at the University of Liege, Belgium, reported (see conference Abstract No. OC24) that in the phase III Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic In
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Contact: Andrew Leopold
aleopold@webershandwick.com
416-964-6444
International Osteoporosis Foundation
3-Jun-2006

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