Efficacy of Teriparatide in Increasing Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis - An Indian Experience
Efficacy of Teriparatide in Increasing Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis - An Indian Experience
Efficacy of Teriparatide in Increasing Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis - An Indian Experience
Abstract
Background and Objective: Osteoporosis is emerging as a leading cause of substantial morbidity in India,
particularly in postmenopausal women. Teriparatide (recombinant human parathyroid hormone [1-34])
increases bone formation and improves bone microarchitecture, thereby reducing the risk of fractures. This
study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of teriparatide in increasing bone mineral density (BMD) in
postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Material and Methods: A randomised, prospective, multicentre, open-label, controlled study was conducted
on 82 postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis. Patients were randomly divided into control
and teriparatide groups, each group consisting of 41 patients. All the patients were supplemented with
1000 mg of elemental calcium and 500 IU of vitamin D throughout the study period of 180 days. Besides,
teriparatide group patients were administered teriparatide 20 g daily subcutaneously. Lumbar spine, femoral
neck and total hip BMD, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone area were measured by dual energy x-ray
absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline and at the end of 6 months of treatment. Bone biomarkers, such as serum
bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and serum osteocalcin (OC), representing bone formation, and
urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD), representing bone resorption were assessed at baseline, and at 3 and 6
months of treatment.
Results: During the study period, 9 patients (11%) were lost to follow-up - 6 in control group (7.3%) and 3
in teriparatide group (3.7%). There was an excellent compliance to both oral and injectable medication. The
investigational product teriparatide was well tolerated and there were no serious adverse events. In addition,
there were no significant differences between the groups in the incidence of adverse events. The percentage
of increase in lumbar spine BMD, which is the primary endpoint, was significantly (P<0.001) higher in
teriparatide group compared to that in control group (6.58% vs. 1.06%). Further, teriparatide significantly
increased percentage of change in lumbar spine T-score (P<0.001), BMC (P<0.001) and bone area (P<0.028)
compared to control group at 6 months. Administration of teriparatide resulted in a significant percentage
of increase in all the bone biomarkers in teriparatide group compared to control group patients at 3 and 6
months over baseline, thereby showing that there was a significant increase in bone turnover in teriparatide
group of patients.
Conclusion: These results show that teriparatide is an effective and safe drug in increasing the BMD and
therefore, teriparatide provides yet another new therapeutic option for reducing the risk management of
osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT00500409).
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INTRODUCTION
steoporosis has now been recognised as a major
public health problem associated with substantial
morbidity and socio-economic burden. As a result of
osteoporosis, one in two women and one in five men over
the age of 50, sustain fractures.1 Postmenopausal women,
in particular, are more vulnerable to osteoporosis. After
menopause, due to lack of oestrogen, the rate of bone
turnover increases, resulting in accelerated bone loss.
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METHODS
Study design
An open-label, multicentre, prospective, randomised,
controlled phase III study was conducted, with the
approval of Drug Controller General of India, at 6
outpatient endocrinology clinical centres in India, from
December 2005 to August 2007. The primary efficacy
endpoint was the percentage of change at the end of 6
months over baseline in bone mineral density (BMD)
at lumber spine (L1-L4) in postmenopausal women
with osteoporosis. The secondary efficacy endpoint
was percentage of change from baseline in biomarkers
of bone formation [serum bone specific alkaline
phosphatase (BSAP) and serum osteocalcin (OC)], and
bone resorption [urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD)] at
the end of 3 and 6 months. Study protocol was approved
by the Ethics Committees of respective investigational
centres.
Study Participants
Postmenopausal women, at least 3 years past
menopause, were eligible to participate if they were
aged between 45-75 years and had osteoporosis (lumbar
spine or femoral neck or total hip T-score -2.5). Women
were excluded if they had vertebral abnormalities
in L1-L4 that interfered with measurement by dual
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419
RESULTS
A total of 207 postmenopausal women with
suspected osteoporosis were subjected to DXA screening
at 6 investigational centres. Among them 91 failed in
DXA and the remaining 116 postmenopausal women
with osteoporosis (lumbar spine or total hip or femoral
neck T score <-2.5) were supplemented with elemental
calcium 1000 mg and vitamin D 500 IU daily. After 45
days, they were screened for their eligibility, and 82
women met the eligibility criteria. They were randomly
assigned to either control group (n=41) or teriparatide
group (n=41). Of a total of 82 patients, 73 patients (89%)
completed the trial and only nine patients 6 in control
group and 3 in teriparatide group, were lost to follow-up
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Control
Group
( n = 41)
Teriparatide
Group
( n = 41)
63.0 6.3
16.0 7.6
149.9 5.6
56.9 9.7
25.3 3.9
-3.33 0.74
0.71 0.10
44.45 5.54
61.0 6.3
15.7 6.4
149.3 5.6
58.5 10.2
26.2 4.1
-3.40 0.87
0.71 0.13
44.61 4.61
31.62 5.81
-1.88 0.89
0.73 0.10
30.30 3.69
22.10 4.30
-2.34 0.73
0.62 0.09
4.54 0.31
2.83 0.44
9.4 0.5
64.1 32
31.75 7.31
-1.99 0.57
0.71 0.08
29.89 4.94
21.57 4.35
-2.49 0.55
0.62 0.08
4.56 0.40
2.81 0.42
9.4 0.6
63.7 34.3
38.9 16.4
3.1 1.6
34.9 15.9
2.6 1.4
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DISCUSSION
Osteoporosis is a major public health problem that
will become more widespread as the population ages.
Osteoporosis, being a risk factor for fracture, accounts for
high morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly.
Postmenopausal women are highly susceptible to
osteoporosis and its associated complications. In recent
years, therefore, greater attention has been focused on
the development of antiosteoporotic drugs.
As osteoporosis results due to imbalance in
Control
Teriparatide
-1.46 9.07
-0.20 4.72
0.74 7.76
-6.03 17.21
1.06 4.81
2.04 7.06
4.02 11.02
-2.58 17.20
2.12 5.92
-1.26 6.46
0.79 6.34
-11.30 9.39*
2.05 3.73**
9.44 9.17*
-8.12 12.12
6.58 6.50*
1.33 5.28
3.96 7.54
-4.87 9.30
1.97 4.25
1.38 5.96
3.12 7.0
Adverse Events
Fever
General weakness
Headache
Body pains
Skin rash
Boils and wounds
Vertigo
Peripheral neuropathy
Cataract
Total number of adverse
events
Total number of patients
with adverse events
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Control
Group
(n=41)
Teriparatide
Group
(n=41)
1 (2.4%)
0
0
5 (12.2%)
2 (4.8%)
2 (4.8%)
0
1 (2.4%)
0
11
2 (4.8%)
2 (4.8%)
4 (9.8%)
7 (17.1%)
1 (2.4%)
0
1 (2.4%)
0
1 (2.4%)
18
9 (21.9%)
9 (21.9%)
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