Bisphosphonates are chemicals with a structure similar to that of the mineral pyrophosphate, which occurs in bone. As drugs, they are used to treat a variety of bone diseases, some of which are associated with pain.
Characteristics
Bisphosphonates were discovered in the nineteenth century and were used as corrosion inhibitors and complexing agents in the textile, oil, and fertilizer industries. Their potential for use in medicine arose when it was recognized that pyrophosphate inhibited precipitation of calcium. Pyrophosphate was, therefore, considered as a drug that might be used to control calcium metabolism but was found not to be active orally and was rapidly hydrolyzed if administered parenterally. The similar chemical structure of bisphosphonates to pyrophosphate (Fig.
1) made them a suitable substitute for pyrophosphate as a drug.
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