In a study of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, a new hormone drug was found to give a significant increase in bone density.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is a natural hormone which can help regulate the metabolism of calcium in bone. As such, it is being tested as a treatment for osteoporosis and already the results look very promising. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh gave injections of PTHrP or placebo to a group of 16 postmenopausal women and found that those on the active treatment experienced an average increase of nearly five per cent in their bone density in just three months.

This compares very well with existing treatments for osteoporosis, which take years rather than months to achieve the same results. In fact PTHrP also compares favorably with parathyroid hormone, a recently approved treatment which also builds up bone. The researchers caution that this was just a small study, and now needs to be repeated on a much larger scale. They also point out that we still need to know if PTHrP's benefits also translate into a reduction in bone fractures.

Source

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism February 2003