MSD drug ‘increased BMD over two years’

Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) has announced the results of a phase IIb study showing that its investigational cathepsin K inhibitor odanacatib increased bone mineral density (BMD) over a two-year period at key fracture sites.

The company said the drug showed dose-dependent increases on BMD at total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine sites and also decreased indices of bone resorption when compared to placebo in postmenopausal women with low BMD.

It presented the results of the multi-centre, double-blind randomised trial at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

In total, 399 women were involved in the study which evaluated odancatib at doses of 3mg, 10mg, 25mg and 50mg.

Dr Michael McClung, director of the Oregon Osteoporosis Centre in Portland, Oregon, said: “Significant BMD increases were seen in the second year of treatment with odanacatib and these 24-month results confirm the positive increases seen at earlier timepoints.”

He added that these data reinforce the potential of the compound as a new treatment option for patients with osteoporosis.

In September 2007, MSD reported “encouraging” results for odanacatib as a treatment to reduce bone turnover and increase BMD in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients.