Amgen announces phase III denosumab osteoporosis results

Amgen has announced the publication of positive phase III results of denosumab in osteoporosis patients.

The study found that patients transitioned from Fosamax (alendronate) to denosumab showed significantly greater gains in bone mineral density when compared to those who continued on alendronate.

Furthermore, additional data from another head-to-head trial showed that over 75 per cent of patients prefer the administration and frequency of a twice-yearly subcutaneous injection to receiving a weekly pill.

The results from these non-pivotal studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research in Montreal.

Roger M Perlmutter, executive vice-president of research and development at Amgen, said: “Data from these trials highlight the potential for a new treatment option for the millions of postmenopausal women worldwide with osteoporosis.”

He added that it is exciting to see bone density gains in patients treated with denosumab who weere previously taking alendronate, as this type of result has not been observed in earlier studies.

In July 2008, Amgen announced the publication of positive top-line clinical trial results at phase III for denosumab as a treatment for patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.