Amgen bone density drug shows positive results
Thousand Oaks-based pharmaceutical giant Amgen announced results Oct. 12 showing its bone density drug Prolia reduced the incidences of bone fractures in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis over 10 years.
Prolia is designed to raise bone density in people with a history of osteoporosis. Amgen released the data during the annual conference of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Seattle.
The findings were from Amgen’s Freedom study, which followed 7,808 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. In an initial three-year study, women were either given Prolia or a placebo every six months for three years. Women were then given the option to leave the study or enroll in an additional seven-year study.
Amgen said 2,626 women completed the extension study.
“Together, the evidence from this pivotal Phase 3 fracture trial and its extension highlights the value of Prolia in the treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, as well as Amgen’s commitment to continued research in the field of osteoporosis,” said Sean Harper, Amgen executive vice president of research and development, in a news release.
Oct. 12 was the second day in a row Amgen reported positive data about Prolia at the conference. On Oct. 11, Amgen reported that Prolia was shown to increase bone density better than a Novartis drug called zoledronic acid.
Amgen said in a news release that side effects of Prolia include back pain in women and pancreatitis in men.
• Contact Philip Joens at [email protected].
