Once-a-month brittle bones pill launched

From the archive, first published Wednesday 21st Sep 2005.

A new once-a-month treatment to tackle the problem of brittle bones was launched in the UK today.

Bonviva ­ ibandronic acid ­ is used to treat post-menopausal osteoporosis by helping to rebuild bone and making them less likely to break.

Current treatments for the condition, which affects an estimated three million people in the UK, are very effective but are only available in daily or weekly doses.

It is hoped that once-monthly Bonviva, a bisphosphonate treatment, will mean that patients stick to treatment for longer, reducing their risk of future fractures.

Research has found that about half of patients on a weekly bisphosphonate treatment have stopped taking the medication by the end of the first year.

This could be due to the strict guidance patients have to follow when taking bisphosphonates.

This includes having to fast before taking the tablet and then having to stay standing or sitting upright and fasting for a certain period after taking the medication.

It is hoped that if this guidance only has to be followed once a month, women will be less likely to stop treatment.

Osteoporosis causes the bones to weaken and fracture easily and is common in women after the menopause.

Each year the condition is thought to cause 50,000 arm fractures and 60,000 hip fractures, and overall costs the NHS and Government more than £1.7bn.

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