August 31, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are testing a new protocol for the use of Alendronate, also known as Fosamax, to treat osteoporosis in men. A study appearing in August 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that the drug, taken daily, is effective in increasing bone mass and preventing bone fractures in men with osteoporosis. “Our study will examine whether the medication, taken weekly, will be just as effective and perhaps easier to take,” says Dr. Kenneth Saag, associate professor of medicine with the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at UAB.

In the U.S., two million men — one in eight over age 50 — have osteoporosis, a disease characterized by the deterioration of bone. It is the most common form of bone disease and is the leading cause of hip fractures, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

“Currently there are no approved therapies for osteoporosis in men,” says Saag. “There’s increasing evidence that this therapy, Fosamax, taken weekly by women with osteoporosis, is effective in increasing bone mass and reducing the risk of bone fractures. We believe that also may be true for men.”

The study is enrolling men, ages 25 to 90, with osteoporosis. Participants will visit the clinic weekly for six months for evaluation and to receive their medication — either the drug or a placebo. “Following the study, if the treatment is shown to be effective, participants may wish to talk with their doctors about continuing or beginning use of the drug, which is commercially available,” says Saag.

Of those with osteoporosis, 80 percent are women. “Its affects on women are well known,” says Saag. “We don’t know as much about its affects on men. This study will help us better understand the disease in men and will help physicians in identifying and treating it in men.”

For more information about the study, contact Becky Noel at (888) 534-0367.