Patients enrolled for phase-III trial of osteoporosis tablet

Published on 27 Jul 2010

A new phase-III trial of oral calcitonin - a drug designed to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis – is now under way.

The therapy for the bone-thinning disease is currently only available as a nasal spray or injectable treatment, which means that its use has so far been limited.

Previous clinical trials have shown that oral calcitonin is effective at getting the drug into the bloodstream and reducing levels of bone resorption - the process by which old bone is broken down.

If the latest clinical trial achieves similar results, postmenopausal women with osteoporosis could benefit from an extra therapeutic option in the form of a once-daily, easy-to-take tablet.

A total of approximately 550 patients will take part in the global phase-III trial, which has been given the go-ahead by an independent data monitoring committee.

David Brand, president and chief executive officer of Tarsa Therapeutics, said that the development was "promising".

Mr Brand claimed that the tablet "has the potential to offer patients the proven safety and efficacy of calcitonin with the significant advantage of easier administration and the potential for enhanced long-term compliance".

"We look forward to reporting data from the complete phase-III study next year," he said.

Dr David Krause, chief medical officer of Tarsa, added: "Continuing concerns about potential long-term safety issues with other popular classes of osteoporosis drugs highlight the need for additional choices for osteoporosis patients and their healthcare providers."

A spokeswoman for Arthritis Research UK said if the study showed that calcitonin given in a tablet form was as effective as a nasal spray or injection, it would provide another easier option for many patients with osteoporosis.