Prolia Osteoporosis drug by Amgen

Prolia Osteoporosis drug treatment by Amgen was approved by the FDA in June of 2010. The drug, known clinically as Denosumab. is taken by injection twice a year - thus eliminating some of the problems of many Osteoporosis medications:

• Remembering to take medication
• Potential erosion of the esophagus if a pill touches the side of your throat on its way down

This is not the first Osteoporosis drug that is not in pill form. Currently:

• Aclasta, which is sold in the United States as Reclast and Zometa can be delivered by infusion.
• Calcitonin can be administered by injection or by nasal spray>/li>

• Forteo or Teriparatide comes in a self injection format.

What is different about this drug is that it is the first biologic drug for Osteoporosis. (NOTE: Patients taking other biologic drugs, eg. for Rheumatoid arthritis, may have interactions.)

What is also different is that this drug will be sold directly to doctors. So it can be delivered by a physician 'almost like a flu shot' in the office.

Clinical tests; possible side effects

reduced risk for fractures after three years of treatments.(If you want to review some of the early clinical studies, I put a page on the site about these as soon as Amagen announced that it was under review by the FDA. To read these reports click on Denosumab - Prolia, early studies

Possible side effects include back and extremity pain, high cholesterol, bladder infection, low blood calcium and skin reactions. Since the cells targeted by Prolia play a role in immunity, the drug "has the potential to affect multiple layers of the immune system," according to the FDA. Also because it blocks the work of osteoclasts some have warned that users could suffer from Osteonecrosis of the jaw...just as with Fosamax and the other bisphosphonates BUT this is not known withany degree of certainty.

Read more about Osteopenia medications

Click here for Natural treatmentsfor Osteopenia and Osteoporosis