Effects of teriparatide and risedronate on new fractures in post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis (VERO): a multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: No clinical trials have compared osteoporosis drugs with incident fractures as the primary outcome. We compared the anti-fracture efficacy of teriparatide with risedronate in patients with severe osteoporosis. METHODS: In this double-blind, double-dummy trial, we enrolled post-menopausal women with at least two moderate or one severe vertebral fracture and a bone mineral density T score of less than or equal to -1·50. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 20 µg of teriparatide once daily plus oral weekly placebo or 35 mg of oral risedronate once weekly plus daily injections of placebo for 24 months. The primary outcome was new radiographic vertebral fractures. Secondary, gated outcomes included new and worsened radiographic vertebral fractures, clinical fractures (a composite of non-vertebral and symptomatic vertebral), and non-vertebral fractures. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01709110) and EudraCT (2012-000123-41). FINDINGS: We enrolled 680 patients in each group. At 24 months, new vertebral fractures occurred in 28 (5·4%) of 680 patients in the teriparatide group and 64 (12·0%) of 680 patients in the risedronate group (risk ratio 0·44, 95% CI 0·29-0·68; p<0·0001). Clinical fractures occurred in 30 (4·8%) of 680 patients in the teriparatide group compared with 61 (9·8%) of 680 in the risedronate group (hazard ratio 0·48, 95% CI 0·32-0·74; p=0·0009). Non-vertebral fragility fractures occurred in 25 (4·0%) patients in the teriparatide group and 38 (6·1%) in the risedronate group (hazard ratio 0·66; 95% CI 0·39-1·10; p=0·10). INTERPRETATION: Among post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis, the risk of new vertebral and clinical fractures is significantly lower in patients receiving teriparatide than in those receiving risedronate. FUNDING: Lilly.

Secukinumab in Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Active Comparator- and Placebo-Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had an inadequate response to or intolerance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. METHODS: In this phase III study, 551 patients were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive intravenous secukinumab at a dose of 10 mg/kg (at baseline and weeks 2 and 4) followed by subcutaneous secukinumab at a dose of either 150 mg or 75 mg every 4 weeks or, alternatively, abatacept or placebo on the same dosing schedule. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving 20% improvement in disease activity according to the American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20) at week 24 in the secukinumab 150 mg or 75 mg treatment groups as compared with placebo. Key secondary end points included change from baseline to week 24 in the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using C-reactive protein level (DAS28-CRP) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ DI), as well as the ACR 50% improvement (ACR50) response rate at week 24. RESULTS: The primary efficacy end point was met in patients receiving 150 mg secukinumab, in whom the ACR20 response rate at week 24 was significantly higher than that in the placebo group. The ACR20 response rates at week 24 were 30.7% in patients receiving 150 mg secukinumab (P = 0.0305), 28.3% in those receiving 75 mg secukinumab (P = 0.0916), and 42.8% in those receiving abatacept, compared with 18.1% in the placebo group. A significant reduction in the DAS28-CRP was seen in patients treated with 150 mg secukinumab (P = 0.0495), but not in patients treated with 75 mg secukinumab. Improvements in the HAQ DI and ACR50 response rates were not significant in the 2 secukinumab dose groups compared with the placebo group. The overall safety profile was similar across all treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Secukinumab at a dose of 150 mg resulted in improvement in signs and symptoms and reduced disease activity in patients with active RA who had an inadequate response to TNF inhibitors. Improvements observed with abatacept were numerically higher than with secukinumab. There were no new or unexpected safety signals with secukinumab in this study.

Comparative effects of teriparatide and risedronate in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men: 18-month results of the EuroGIOPs trial.

Data on treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) in men are scarce. We performed a randomized, open-label trial in men who have taken glucocorticoids (GC) for ≥3 months, and had an areal bone mineral density (aBMD) T-score ≤ -1.5 standard deviations. Subjects received 20 µg/d teriparatide (n = 45) or 35 mg/week risedronate (n = 47) for 18 months. Primary objective was to compare lumbar spine (L1 -L3 ) BMD measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Secondary outcomes included BMD and microstructure measured by high-resolution QCT (HRQCT) at the 12th thoracic vertebra, biomechanical effects for axial compression, anterior bending, and axial torsion evaluated by finite element (FE) analysis from HRQCT data, aBMD by dual X-ray absorptiometry, biochemical markers, and safety. Computed tomography scans were performed at 0, 6, and 18 months. A mixed model repeated measures analysis was performed to compare changes from baseline between groups. Mean age was 56.3 years. Median GC dose and duration were 8.8 mg/d and 6.4 years, respectively; 39.1% of subjects had a prevalent fracture, and 32.6% received prior bisphosphonate treatment. At 18 months, trabecular BMD had significantly increased for both treatments, with significantly greater increases with teriparatide (16.3% versus 3.8%; p = 0.004). HRQCT trabecular and cortical variables significantly increased for both treatments with significantly larger improvements for teriparatide for integral and trabecular BMD and bone surface to volume ratio (BS/BV) as a microstructural measure. Vertebral strength increases at 18 months were significant in both groups (teriparatide: 26.0% to 34.0%; risedronate: 4.2% to 6.7%), with significantly higher increases in the teriparatide group for all loading modes (0.005 < p < 0.015). Adverse events were similar between groups. None of the patients on teriparatide but five (10.6%) on risedronate developed new clinical fractures (p = 0.056). In conclusion, in this 18-month trial in men with GIO, teriparatide showed larger improvements in spinal BMD, microstructure, and FE-derived strength than risedronate.

Comparative effects of teriparatide and strontium ranelate in the periosteum of iliac crest biopsies in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

The periosteum contains osteogenic cells that regulate the outer shape of bone and contribute to determine its cortical thickness, size and position. We assessed the effects of subcutaneous injections of teriparatide (TPTD, 20µg/day) or oral strontium ranelate (SrR, 2g/day) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis on new bone formation activity at the periosteal and endosteal bone surfaces using dynamic histomorphometric measurements. Evaluable tetracycline-labeled transiliac crest bone biopsies were analyzed from 27 patients in the TPTD group, and 22 in the SrR group after six months of treatment. Measurements were conducted on the thicker and thinner cortices separately, and comparisons between the thicker, thinner and combined cortices were carried out. At the combined periosteal cortex, the mineralization surface as a percent of bone surface (MS/BS%) was greater for TPTD (mean±SE: 8.08±1.22%) than SrR (3.22±1.05%) (p<0.005). The difference in mineral apposition rate (MAR) between TPTD (0.35±0.06µm/day) and SrR (0.14±0.06µm/day) was also significant (p<0.05), while that of bone formation rate per bone surface (BFR/BS) between TPTD (0.014±0.004 mm(3)/mm(2)/year) and SrR (0.004±0.003 mm(3)/mm(2)/year) was not (p=0.057). Statistically significant differences between the two treatments were also observed for MS/BS%, BFR/BS, MAR and the double-labeled perimeter in the periosteum of the thicker, but not thinner, iliac crest cortices. The comparison between the thicker and thinner cortices of both periosteal and endosteal surfaces showed statistically significant differences for MAR and the double-labeled perimeter for TPTD treated women. There were no statistically significant differences in any bone formation dynamic measurements between the two cortices in the SrR group. In conclusion, most of the bone formation and mineralization variables were significantly higher for TPTD- than SrR-treated women at both the periosteal and endosteal combined cortices. The response to TPTD for dynamic bone formation measurements in the periosteal surface was greater for the thicker than thinner cortex, but this difference was not significant in SrR treated patients. This may reflect a greater ability of TPTD to enhance responsiveness of bone to the mechanical loading environment. These effects on bone formation may underlie the improvement in bone quality in patients with osteoporosis treated with TPTD.

Use of recombinant human parathyroid hormone(1-84) in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis: a prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicentre, observational cohort study of the effects of treatment on quality of life and pain--the PROPOSE study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Osteoporosis is a progressive bone disorder. Its medical therapy typically involves calcium, vitamin D and antiresorptive drugs. The anabolic parathyroid hormones (PTHs) represent a major advance since they stimulate new bone formation. Two forms of recombinant human PTH (rhPTH) have been evaluated: the 34-amino acid fragment rhPTH(1-34) and the intact 84-amino acid form rhPTH(1-84), the latter being marketed as Preotact®. Osteoporosis leads to increased bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Additionally, the disease is often accompanied by pain and a reduced quality of life (QOL). These aspects have rarely been addressed in previously published studies of PTH, which have instead focused on bone density and fractures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate therapy with rhPTH(1-84) in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women under everyday practice conditions with emphasis on patients' QOL and pain. METHODS: The study was performed as a prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicentre, observational cohort study that included postmenopausal women in whom treatment with rhPTH(1-84) was newly initiated. Patients were to be treated with rhPTH(1-84) for 12 months at a dose of 100 µg, administered once daily as a subcutaneous injection. The primary efficacy endpoint was the total score on the Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis, 41-item version (QUALEFFO-41). Secondary efficacy criteria were QUALEFFO-41 subscale scores, patients' assessments of pain on visual analogue scales (range 0-100), and performance on the chair rising test. RESULTS: 112 patients were included in the safety and in the intent-to-treat (ITT) efficacy analyses. Sixty-six patients finished the 1-year period (per-protocol group). All ITT patients were female with a mean age of 72 years and a mean duration of osteoporosis of 73 months. During the study, all QUALEFFO-41 scales improved significantly: in the ITT group, the mean total score improved from 49.8 to 41.3 points. In the ITT population, mean pain at rest improved significantly by about 20% and mean pain on movement by about 36%. When patients who took at least one dose of pain medication were compared with those who took no pain medication during the study, it was evident that pain reduction did not occur only as a result of taking pain medication: use of rhPTH(1-84) was associated with a similar pain reduction in both subgroups. The most frequent adverse events (AEs) were hypercalcaemia (12.5% of patients) and nausea and vomiting (10.7% of patients). AEs caused 16% of patients to discontinue during the 12-month study period. CONCLUSION: This 12-month study carried out in a typical sample of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis showed that treatment with rhPTH(1-84) is safe. The present study, which is one of the first to investigate QOL and pain during PTH treatment systematically, also showed that rhPTH(1-84) improves QOL and reduces pain, thereby reducing the burden of osteoporotic symptoms for patients. These results, however, need to be verified in a controlled clinical trial. [ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00515593].

Correlations between biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone density responses in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis treated with teriparatide or alendronate.

The purpose of this post hoc analysis was to determine whether baseline concentrations or early changes in serum bone turnover markers were correlated with changes in bone mineral density (BMD) at 18 months in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) treated with teriparatide (n=80; 20 mug/day) or alendronate (n=77; 10 mg/day). Bone markers included type I collagen N-terminal propeptide (PINP), type I collagen C-terminal propeptide (PICP), bone alkaline phosphatase (bone ALP), and cross-linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen (Sbeta-CTX). The relationship between baseline and early changes in markers and the 18-month changes in lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD was evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis. In the teriparatide group, increases in LS and FN BMD at 18 months were not significantly correlated with baseline marker concentrations (P>0.05) but were correlated with the increases in PINP at 1 and 6 months (P<0.05). In the alendronate group, the increase in FN BMD at 18 months was positively correlated with baseline marker concentrations (P<0.05) and negatively correlated with change in PINP and Sbeta-CTX at 1 and 6 months. In addition, in the alendronate group, the increase in LS BMD was negatively correlated with change in Sbeta-CTX at 1 month (P<0.05). Increases in BMD at the spine and hip were independent of baseline bone turnover in the teriparatide group, while increases in hip BMD were dependent on baseline bone turnover in the alendronate group. With both therapies, early changes in some bone turnover markers were correlated with 18-month gains in BMD in patients with GIO.

Comparative effects of teriparatide and strontium ranelate on bone biopsies and biochemical markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

We assessed the effects on bone remodeling and histomorphometry after daily subcutaneous injections of teriparatide (n = 39, 20 microg/d) or oral strontium ranelate (SrR, n = 40, 2 g/d) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Evaluable biopsies were obtained from 29 patients in the teriparatide group and 22 in the SrR group after 6 mo of treatment. The mean +/- SD mineralization surfaces as a percent of bone surfaces (MS/BS, %) at the trabecular level were 7.73 +/- 1.48% for teriparatide and 5.25 +/- 1.15% for SrR (p = 0.219) and at the endocortical level were 17.22 +/- 3.06% and 9.70 +/- 2.07%, respectively (p = 0.052). Cortical porosity was 5.40 +/- 0.41% in the teriparatide and 4.14 +/- 0.40% in the SrR group (p = 0.037). Teriparatide induced significant increases from baseline in bone formation and resorption markers, reaching statistical significance for amino-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP) after 1 mo (+57%, p < 0.001). SrR induced small, but statistically significant, reductions from baseline in PINP at 3 (-14%, p = 0.005) and 6 mo (-19%, p < 0.001) and in serum beta-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (beta-CTX) at 1 and 3 mo (-11%, for both, p < 0.05). There were more patients with adverse events after SrR (70%) than teriparatide (41%) treatment (p = 0.013). In conclusion, the changes in biochemical markers of bone formation confirmed bone-forming activity of teriparatide but not of SrR treatment. The effects of SrR on bone remodeling and cell activity were modest, indicating that its effects on fracture reduction may be predominantly mediated through a different mechanism than that observed with anabolic or more potent antiresorptive agents.