Amgen research shows long-term benefits of Prolia

Amgen has announced new clinical trial data that underlines the long-term benefits its drug Prolia can bring for postmenopausal osteoporosis patients.

A new exploratory analysis of the open-label extension study of a pivotal phase III fracture trial has shown that eight-year treatment with Prolia enabled a substantial proportion of women with osteoporosis to achieve non-osteoporotic T-scores at the lumbar spine and total hip.

The findings, presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research annual meeting, was drawn from a study of 7,868 women between the ages of 60 and 90. The trial will eventually generate a ten-year profile for the drug.

Prolia is approved in Europe for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and in men at increased risk of fractures, as well as for the treatment of bone loss associated with hormone ablation in prostate cancer patients.

Dr Sean Harper, executive vice-president of research and development at Amgen, said: "We are pleased to present these new Prolia analyses at this year's meeting, which add to the growing body of evidence supporting proven treatments for osteoporosis."

This comes after the firm applied last week for European approval of talimogene laherparepvec, an investigational oncolytic immunotherapy for the treatment of regionally or distantly metastatic melanoma.