Novartis: Once yearly Aclasta infusion reduces fractures

Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical company, has claimed that Aclasta, its treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), is “highly effective” in reducing the number of bone fractures in women with the disorder.

The company states that Aclasta is the only once-yearly bisphosphonate being studied for the treatment of PMO and has “clearly” demonstrated that it is a preferred choice over a weekly pill.

An interim analysis of the results have indicated that Aclasta can reduce the risk of new spine fractures in PMO patients by 70 per cent and 40 per cent for hip fractures.

James Shannon, Novartis’ global head of development, remarked: “We believe once-yearly Aclasta may offer advantages for the millions of women suffering from osteoporosis, and potentially provide the most comprehensive protection across the most common osteoporotic fracture sites.”

Dr Dennis Black, the study steering committee chair from the University of California, concluded that the efficacy and safety information available for the drug could mean that women now have the option for a once-yearly treatment, protecting against “devastating” hip fractures.

The treatment has so far been approved in approximately 50 countries for the treatment of Paget’s disease, which causes abnormal bone formation, especially in older patients.

Between 750,000 and one million patients in the UK are thought to have the disorder, which can have no symptoms in its mildest form but can cause severe pain in some cases, according to the National Association for the Relief of Paget’s disease.