U.S. and European Physicians See a Continued Need for New Osteoporosis Therapies with Improved Safety and Tolerability, and the Potential to Increase Patient Compliance

BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that despite numerous available therapies for osteoporosis, there remains an opportunity for therapies that offer improvements in safety and tolerability, as well as efficacy.

Key findings from the Unmet Needs and Current Treatment reports entitled Osteoporosis:

• Greater awareness of osteoporosis among non-specialists is required. Although osteoporosis is a widely acknowledged problem, and there are effective, orally-available and inexpensive means of reducing fracture risk via pharmacotherapy, low physician awareness means identifying all patients at risk, and maintaining them on treatment remains a challenge.
• The level of unmet need for osteoporosis therapies that reduce rates of fracture, and improve compliance and drug-treatment rates is high. Increasing bone density and strength, reducing the risk of future fractures, and improving quality of life are key treatment goals. Additional emphasis is placed on reducing the risk of more serious and debilitating non-vertebral fractures, such as those of the hip or tibia.
• Therapies that improve efficacy, particularly in fracture prevention, are needed. Initial lines of therapy are currently dominated by generic bisphosphonates, especially in more cost-conscious markets. While the bisphosphonate drug class is efficacious, thought leaders call for more efficacious therapies that can also improve drug-treatment rates. Emerging therapies such as romosozumab and abaloparatide may address these key unmet needs.
• Improved compliance is a notable unmet need. Therapies with more benign side-effect and risk: benefit profiles, that can improve tolerability and thus compliance, would be welcomed. Physicians caution that new therapies for osteoporosis, no matter how effective, must have a convenient dosing schedule and limited dosing burden, in addition to a favorable safety and tolerability profile, or patient compliance can be a key issue impacting overall treatment outcomes.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Analyst Alexandra Hemsley, M.Sc., Eng.D.:

• "Concerns about patient intolerance to some osteoporosis therapies, or experience of adverse effects abound, particularly with regard to fears of osteonecrosis of the jaw or atypical femur fracture. Therapies with improved safety and tolerability profiles, especially therapies with the potential to increase patient compliance and drug-treatment rates, would be warmly welcomed among key opinion leaders."
• "The emerging therapies romosozumab and abaloparatide appear well positioned for significant uptake, with impressive efficacy and favorable safety and tolerability profiles, and would be expected to capitalize on a market where patient doubt over drug safety is high."

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About Decision Resources Group
DRG, a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Ltd., offers best-in-class, high-value data, analytics and insights products and services to the healthcare industry, delivered by more than 1000 employees across 17 offices in North America, Europe and Asia. DRG provides the Life Sciences, Provider, Payer and Financial Services industries the data, tools, insights and advice they need to compete and thrive in an increasingly complex and value-based marketplace. decisionresourcesgroup.com.

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