Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) today announced new data that showed postmenopausal women with osteoporosis had significantly greater adherence, compliance, and persistence during Prolia® (denosumab) treatment than during alendronate treatment, an oral bisphosphonate commonly used to treat osteoporosis.
Adherence to treatment, which includes both compliance (a measure of how well patients follow directions for taking medication) and persistence (a measure of whether patients continue with treatment), was measured over two years.
Results from the DAPS (Denosumab Adherence Preference and Satisfaction) study presented at the annual European Congress on Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ECCEO11-IOF) in Valencia, Spain, also found that more than 90 percent of patients preferred Prolia as a treatment option over alendronate. In addition, significantly more patients were satisfied with denosumab injection compared with alendronate tablet (mean score of 4.5 vs. 3.2; score scale of 1-5, higher score, higher satisfaction, p<0.0001).
"Despite the availability of several treatment options, many postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are not taking their medication as prescribed and therefore remain at risk for fractures," said Professor Nick Freemantle, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. "Prolia is an important treatment option for patients not only because of its efficacy and safety, but also because, as this study suggests, women may be more likely to stay on treatment compared to weekly oral alendronate."
Prolia is the first approved therapy that specifically targets RANK Ligand, an essential regulator of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bone).
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