FDA approves intravenous treatment for bone health

The new osteoporosis therapy is for those who have trouble with oral medication.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Jan. 30, 2006.

Washington -- An intravenous treatment for osteoporosis was approved Jan. 6 by the Food and Drug Administration. Injections with Boniva, or ibandronate sodium, would be administered once every three months by a physician.

The new treatment was welcomed by Felicia Cosman, MD, clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, as a long-awaited alternative for those who can't take the oral medications that have been available for several years.

The tablets have presented a problem for some elderly people who have difficulty swallowing, Dr. Cosman said. Plus, the pills require an individual to remain upright for one-half hour to an hour after taking them and before eating or drinking anything other than water, a complex regimen for some, and one that has led to a poor adherence rate.

Osteoporosis affects about 10 million people in the United States with the majority being women, particularly postmenopausal women. As the population ages, the likelihood is that many more women will be threatened with the condition.

Poor bone health is implicated in 1.5 million fractures each year in the United States among both men and women, according to a recent U.S surgeon general report. And fractures, particularly hip fractures, can start an individual down a path toward disability and even an early death.