Once-a-Year Drug Lowers Fracture Risk

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis may only need one dose of medication per year to reduce the risk of fractures.

A new study looked at the effects of annual doses of zoledronic acid (Reclast) in postmenopausal women between 65 and 89 years old. Half of the participants got a 15-minute infusion of Reclast once a year; the other half received a placebo. Patients were monitored for three years with quarterly telephone interviews and clinic visits at six, 12, 24, and 36 months.

Results show Reclast reduced the risk of vertebral fracture by 70 percent during a three-year period and reduced the risk of hip fractures by 41 percent. Other fracture types were also significantly reduced. The study also revealed Reclast significantly improved bone mineral density.

Researchers say these findings are critical because getting patients to take oral medications -- the most common treatment for osteoporosis -- can be difficult. About half of all patients do not stick to their prescription schedule after one year.

Fractures are a big problem in postmenopausal women. Medical care associated with osteoporosis costs more than $18 billion a year in the United States.

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SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2007;356:1809-22