Boston - Make no bones about it – For those troubled with low bone density, now you can do something concrete about it. According to a study, Amgen Inc.'s experimental drug Denosumab taken twice a year can rejuvenate the density of bones present in the spine.
The New England Journal of Medicine has reported the effect of this drug after two years of use and observation, which has formed part of the experimental study. 412 women volunteers who had low bone density were administerd the drug. One of the seven doses included the drug, or a placebo or the drug Fosamax, known by another name as alendronate.It was observed that after a year of treatment, denosumab strengthened the bone density in the lumbar portion of the spine by 3.0 % to 6.7%, also marked by overall improvement in density of other bones. After 2 years of treatment, the increase was anywhere from 4.3 percent to 9.0 percent. Those who had received Fosamax also showed a 4.6 percent increase after a year’s treatment. The placebo administered on certain volunteers resulted in loss of bone density.
Michael McClung of the Providence Portland Medical Center in Portland, Oregon led the research team. He observed that, those women who got a 60 milligram injection of denosumab every six months, showed the best result. Till date, there is no record of any major side effects.
This study was initiated, sponsored and designed by Amgen.
