Denosumab – An Anti-Bone Loss Drug

In a study, Amgen Inc. (AMGN) found that those men who are under the medication of prostate cancer drugs usually experience bone loss, which can be cured and even prevented with the help of an effective drug called Denosumab.

Denosumab is a bio engineered antibody which hinders the growth of a protein that contains cells called osteoclasts (responsible for bone-annhilation).

Experimental drug Denosumab was administered to prostate cancer patients and the results were positive, the drug prevented osteoporosis in the patients.

The three-year long study looked at more than 1,400 men suffering from prostate cancer who were regularly given the investigational drug and analyzed that -- compared with placebo-- the drug augmented bone mineral density at multiple sites.

This remarkably abridged the chances of fractures and other bone problems in the patients undertaking prostate cancer medication. While those who were given doses of placebo showed more vulnerability towards new vertebral and non-vertebral fractures.

Roger Dansey, director of Amgen's Denosumab oncology program said, "We're excited by the evidence of clinical activity -- which is reduction of vertebral fractures."

Patients of prostate cancer are usually prescribed androgen-deprivation therapy, in which different methods are used to bring under control the levels of testosterone such as surgical castration or drugs may be employed. But this treatment somehow, hastens the process of osteoporosis- bone loss and bone fracture risk.

Prostate cancer patients, who undergo androgen deprivation therapy, can benefit a lot from this drug. As it was found out in the study that bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and non-vertebral sites increased with Denosumab drug and this is a significant development in putting off bone degeneration, Amgen said.

Later this year, an extensive study on the Denosumab drug dealing with its role in lessening the bone fractures in case of osteoporosis patients is keenly awaited by Wall Street.

Robert W. Baird & Co analyst Christopher Raymond said, "We believe that Denosumab has further demonstrated activity in cancer patients. However, we await this agent's pivotal FREEDOM study (in women with post-menopausal osteoporosis) later this year to answer questions regarding the agent's utility in that important setting."

The study will be published in a medical journal.