| Health Mail Vol.1 Issue 3 | Title : A bone-building drug for osteoporosis | 1/1 |
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Osteoporosis or brittle-bone disease affects millions of people, and until now there has been no way of reversing the loss of bone. Healthy bone breaks down and rebuilds constantly in the body, but in Osteoporosis the body breaks down more bone that it can rebuild. Scientists in the United States are reaching the end of final trials on a new drug based on the natural hormone parathyroid. Results so far from these studies have shown the risk of bone fractures in patients to be reduced by as much as 80%. Other drugs such as oestrogen and a new class of medication called bisphosphonates, have been found to slow bone loss, but the parathyroid-based drug is the first to build strong, new bone. Professor Robert Neer of Harvard Medical School, who has helped to conduct the trial of the new drug, which will be known as Forteo, says that its arrival has been awaited for years. He says that this is the first drug that stimulates bone formation. He says that the drug should not be considered as a cure for osteoporosis but that it interferes with the condition's progress by allowing new bone to grow at a faster rate. Forteo has been developed using the part of the parathyroid hormone which is responsible for both building and breaking down bone. The bone-building element has been extracted and developed so that only that part is activated when the patient takes the drug. Forteo's manufacturers, Eli Lilley, have not set a date for the drug's introduction in the UK, but are working on getting licenced approval in Europe. There are hopes of the drug being approved in the U.S. by the end of the year 2000. For Further Information: |
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