New drug that could prevent osteoporosis approved for NHS
More than 14,000 menopausal women in England could benefit from a new drug that helps prevent bone fractures.
Osteoporosis weakens the bones and affects 3.8 million people in the UKIt mainly affects older women because during menopause the hormone estrogen, which is important for maintaining bone density and strength, decreases and bone density decreases.
This can lead to osteoporosis, which increases the incidence of bone fractures. The condition is linked to more than half a million fractures a year in the UK, costing more than £4.5 billion.
Fractures can be very painful and limit a person’s independence, and they are also associated with increased mortality. Until now, women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at very high risk of fracture have been treated with romosozumab or teriparatide, followed by bisphosphonates such as alendronate. But some patients do not respond to these medications or cannot tolerate them.
On Wednesday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) announced that it has approved a new drug, Abaloparatide, for use by the health service. It will be available for use by the NHS in England within three months.
Abaloparatide – sold as Eladynos and manufactured by Theramex – increases bone density by stimulating the cells that make new bone.
The drug is recommended for patients at high risk of bone fractures, with Nice estimating it could benefit more than 14,000 women who have been through menopause. Abaloparatide is administered via a pre-filled pen, which is injected once a day at home.
Prof Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer and deputy chief executive of Nice, said: “The independent committee heard from patients how debilitating osteoporosis can be and how it affects all aspects of daily life, such as not being able to go out for a walk because they are afraid of falling and breaking a bone.
“This can harm mental and physical health. Our focus is on enabling access to care that improves quality of life while delivering value to the taxpayer. Abaloparatide has been found by our independent committee to be clinically and cost-effective in reducing the risk of fractures, giving people greater independence and therefore a better quality of life.”
The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) welcomed Nice’s announcement. Given the prevalence of fractures in women over 50 and the level of disability they cause, the “lack of new treatments over the past 15 years is a major concern,” said Craig Jones, chief executive of the ROS.
“We are delighted that Nice has recommended a new drug treatment for postmenopausal women at highest risk of fractures. This will change thousands of lives for the better and we look forward to seeing the impact it has on communities across the country.”
Prof Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs will always do their best to develop a treatment plan with patients based on all the different factors affecting their health – and sometimes first-line treatments are not appropriate or effective – so it is positive to see a new treatment option approved by Nice that we can consider. We hope this will help patients who have osteoporosis but have not responded to other treatments.”
But menopause expert and campaigner Kate Muir said women need to intervene earlier, adding: “It’s great that new drugs like abaloparatide are available, but this closes the door after the osteoporotic horse has run away.”
Studies show that hormone replacement therapy can increase bone density by up to 8% And reduce the risk of fracturesshe said. “But this public health message is not getting through to women, who should be informed that body-identical transdermal HRT is much safer than previous forms, and that it helps keep bones healthy.”