Mission Pharmacal Conducts Online Survey of Osteoporosis Patients

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Most osteoporosis patients want a choice in the medication they take, according to a recent online survey* sponsored by Mission Pharmacal Company. The survey, conducted by Inspire among the National Osteoporosis Foundation online support community, revealed that 74 percent of osteoporosis patients surveyed prefer to take medication that comes in a form other than a pill or a tablet.

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Mission Pharmacal sponsored the online survey to raise awareness of osteoporosis and to encourage people to talk to their doctors about treatment options. "The results of this survey show that patients are interested in options," says Robert Recker, MD, MACP, FACE, Director, Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb. "We take medication compliance very seriously because we know it can result in fewer fractures with osteoporosis."

BINOSTO® (alendronate sodium) Effervescent Tablet for oral solution (70 mg) from Mission Pharmacal delivers an easy-to-take, strawberry-flavored alternative to pills for individuals with osteoporosis who either can't or prefer not to swallow pills. It is the first and only effervescent tablet that can be dissolved in water to create a buffered solution for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Studies show that bisphosphonate treatments, such as BINOSTO, can reduce the risk of fractures with osteoporosis up to 50 percent. "At the end of the day, drugs don't work if patients don't take them," adds Jim Self, General Manager of Bone Health at Mission Pharmacal. "When we launched BINOSTO, we knew that many osteoporosis patients had difficulty swallowing pills or tablets. What we learned from this survey is that even patients who can tolerate pills still want an alternative, such as a buffered solution like BINOSTO."

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 9 million people in the United States have osteoporosis and another 43 percent have low bone density. Without treatment, their bones weaken and become fragile, making them more likely to break. Ultimately, one in two women and one in four men with osteoporosis will break a bone after the age of 50.

Alendronate sodium provides fracture-risk reduction at the hip and spine and increases bone density. Until recently, it was available only in pill form. BINOSTO is formulated with the same 70 mg of alendronate sodium as other standard alendronate weekly therapies, yet it is delivered in a tablet that dissolves in water.

"Broken bones, especially in older adults, can lead to disability and even death," says Recker. "Between 20 and 25 percent of people with hip fractures will die within a year of the fracture. Of those who survive, nearly half will require help with activities of daily living.

"Many people make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of cancer and heart disease, yet they
don't realize that osteoporosis is a common and potentially fatal disease," says Recker. "If having treatment options improves compliance, we can help more people treat osteoporosis."

Find the complete survey results at binosto.com

* Mission surveyed members of the Inspire/National Osteoporosis Foundation Support Community, a peer-to-peer support group, in June and July 2013. A total of 331 women participated in the survey; 291 of them had been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

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