May 10, 2001

A natural bone-building hormone based on parathyroid hormone has been found to be the most effective treatment for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the disease that causes brittle, breakable bones in millions of older Americans.

The new drug, called Forteo (generic name teriparatide), doubles the normal rate of bone formation in osteoporosis patients, and reduces the risk of broken bones significantly. In women, there was a two-thirds reduction in risk of spinal fractures among those taking Forteo.

Forteo is expected to be available by the end of 2001, and will likely be prescribed to those with severe or significant osteoporosis, who make up as many as a third of all patients with the brittle bone disease. Forteo must be taken by daily injection.

The osteoporosis drugs currently on the market, such as Fosamax, slow bone loss, but Forteo is the only drug identified that helps the body build new bone.

It's estimated that as many as 10 million Americans - 80 percent of them female - suffer from osteoporosis, which frequently results in broken hips, wrists and vertebrae.

Among the results:

• Forteo appeared to reduce the occurrence of new vertebral fractures by 65 to 69 percent, depending on dosage amount
• Forteo reduced the risk of multiple spinal fractures by 77 to 86 percent, depending on dose
• Forteo lowered the risk of fractures elsewhere in the body by a little less than 50 percent