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Teriparatide vs. calcitonin in the treatment of Asian postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis

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Abstract

This study compared the clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of daily subcutaneous injections of teriparatide and salmon calcitonin in the treatment of postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis in Taiwan. This 6-month, multicenter, randomized, controlled study enrolled 63 women with established osteoporosis. They were randomized to receive either teriparatide 20 µg or calcitonin 100 IU daily in an open-label fashion. Lumber spine, femoral neck, total hip bone mineral density (BMD), and biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured, and adverse events and tolerability were recorded. The results at 6 months showed that patients using teriparatide had larger mean increases in spinal BMD than those who used calcitonin (4.5% vs. 0.1%), but the BMD changes in these two groups at the femoral neck and the total hip were not significant. There were also larger mean increases in bone markers in the teriparatide group than in the calcitonin group (bone specific alkaline phosphatase 142% vs. 37%; osteocalcin 154% vs. 23%). We conclude that teriparatide has more positive effects on bone formation than salmon calcitonin, as shown by the larger increments of lumbar spine BMD and bone formation markers, and caused only mild adverse events and no significant change in liver, kidney or hematological parameters. Compared with the published global results, teriparatide seems to be equally effective and safe to use in this Asian population.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by Eli Lilly & Co., Inc., as a phase IIIB clinical trial for registration in Taiwan. We thank Dr. Thiebaud for reviewing the text, APEX International Clinical Research Co, Ltd., for their help in data analysis, and the clinical staff at their study sites for their contributions to the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, Republic of China

    J. S. Hwang

  2. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, Republic of China

    S. T. Tu

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    T. S. Yang

  4. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, Republic of China

    J. F. Chen

  5. Department of Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, Republic of China

    C. J. Wang

  6. Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, #7 Chung-Shan South Road, 100, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    K. S. Tsai

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  1. J. S. Hwang
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  2. S. T. Tu
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  3. T. S. Yang
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  4. J. F. Chen
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  5. C. J. Wang
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  6. K. S. Tsai
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Correspondence to K. S. Tsai.

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Hwang, J.S., Tu, S.T., Yang, T.S. et al. Teriparatide vs. calcitonin in the treatment of Asian postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int 17, 373–378 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-005-2002-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-005-2002-5

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