Alendronate

This page contains recent news articles, when available, and an overview of Alendronate but does not offer medical advice. You should contact your physician with regard to any health issues or concerns.

Overview:

Alendronate (when available)

Pharmacology and use:
Alendronate, a second-generation bisphosphonate is the first member of a group of drugs which strengthens bone. Alendronate is used to reduce hypercalcemia in tumor-induced bone disease, to treat corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis and Paget's disease, and to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. For the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis in women and Paget's disease of bone in both men and women

Mechanism Of Action:
The action of Alendronate on bone tissue is based partly on its affinity for hydroxyapatite, which is part of the mineral matrix of bone. Alendronate also targets farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) synthase. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (such as pamidronate, alendronate, risedronate, ibandronate and zoledronate) appear to act as analogues of isoprenoid diphosphate lipids, thereby inhibiting FPP synthase, an enzyme in the mevalonate pathway. Inhibition of this enzyme in osteoclasts prevents the biosynthesis of isoprenoid lipids (FPP and GGPP) that are essential for the post-translational farnesylation and geranylgeranylation of small GTPase signalling proteins. This activity inhibits osteoclast activity and reduces bone resorption and turnover. In postmenopausal women, it reduces the elevated rate of bone turnover, leading to, on average, a net gain in bone mass.

News Articles on Alendronate

A clay-shoveler's fracture with renal transplantation and ...  -  02 Jun 2008
We treated him with a cervical collar, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and alendronate. The patient was advised against performing weight-bearing 7thSpace Interactive (press release),

Denosumab Osteoporosis Study Meets Primary and All Secondary Bone ...  -  May 19, 2008
The incidence and types of adverse events observed in this study, including neoplasm and infection, were well-balanced between the denosumab and alendronate WELT ONLINE,

Amgen's study shows denosumab achieves greater BMD than Merck's ...  -  May 28, 2008
The biotechnology firm said denosumab's primary endpoint revealed that BMD at the hip increased by 3.5%, when compared to alendronate's increase of 2.5%. RTT News,

Kroger expanding generic drug discount program  -  May 13, 2008
...available at a discount, including tamoxifen, used to treat breast cancer, and alendronate, the generic version of the osteoporosis medicine Fosamax. Bizjournals.com,

Quick study  -  May 31, 2008
About 5 percent of the women were taking Fosamax (alendronate), a bisphosphonate, or had taken it at some time, and 719 of them had received a diagnosis of News & Observer,

Alendronate prompts atrial fibrillation warning  -  May 6, 2008
Their study found women taking alendronate were at an 86% higher risk of atrial fibrillation than those who had never used the drug. Pulse,

Alendronate warning on atrial fibrillation  -  May 6, 2008
The use of the drug alendronate is recommended by NICE as the first-line treatment in osteoporosis. For the study, the use of alendronate in 719 women with Healthcare Republic

Study finds link between alendronate use and risk for atrial ...  -  May 5, 2008
Women who have ever used alendronate sodium may be at an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation, according to recent data published in the Archives Endocrine Today,

Study Findings Highlight Need for Caution in Prescribing Newer Drugs  -  May 16, 2008
Alendronate, a bisphosphonate indicated to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis, was the subject of a recent population-based controlled study. AAFP News Now

Kroger expands $4 drug program  -  May 13, 2008
They include drugs such as tamoxifen to treat breast cancer, combination estrogen/methyltestosterone for hormone replacement, as well as Alendronate, Indianapolis Star,

Wal-Mart Widens Drug Discounts  -  May 6, 2008
For instance, alendronate, the generic version of osteoporosis medication Fosamax, will be added to the list. Pharmacies in Wal-Mart Supercenter, Wall Street Journal

Relative Effectiveness of Osteoporosis Drugs for Preventing ...  -  May 5, 2008
Alendronate was the reference category in all analyses. Results: A total of 1051 nonvertebral fractures were observed within 12 months (2.62 fractures per Annals of Internal Medicine

Saving On Prescription Medicine  -  May 23, 2008
It turns out prices for plavix, levoxyl, detrol, and alendronate varied significantly. There was a tremendous price fluctuation for the same drug…sometimes WXYZ,

Osteoporosis Drug Linked to Irregular Heartbeat  -  May 5, 2008
These findings support the results of a prior study on alendronate, as well as a previous study on zoledronic acid (marketed as Zometa®), HealthandAge.com

Osteoporosis Drug Can Flutter the Heart  -  May 4, 2008
The researchers found that women who had used Fosamax – generic name alendronate – at any time during their life had 86% higher risk of atrial fibrillation HeartZine,

Local News and Notes  -  May 14, 2008
They include drugs such as tamoxifen to treat breast cancer, combination estrogen/methyltestosterone for hormone replacement, as well as Alendronate, Daily Herald,

Wyeth Gets Third Approvable Letter for Osteoporosis Treatment  -  May 30, 2008
Merck’s Fosamax (alendronate sodium) and Fosamax Plus D, used to treat or prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis, had 2007 worldwide sales of $3.05 billion, FDA news (subscription),

Wal-Mart expands low-price drug program  -  May 5, 2008
For instance, alendronate, the generic version of osteoporosis medication Fosamax, will be added to the list. Company pharmacies will fill 30-day The Associated Press

Heart Disease: Drug family is unsuspected cause in 3 per cent of cases  -  May 22, 2008
It’s just been discovered that the bone disease drug family known as bisphosphonates – including Fosamax (alendronate sodium) and Zometa and Aclasta What Doctors Don't Tell You,

HIV Patients Suffer More From Osteoporosis  -  May 25, 2008
...results are still awaited from a clinical trial undertaken with a group of seropositive patients treated with Alendronate (Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Science Daily (press release)

Osteoporosis drug risks heart  -  May 4, 2008
...""Having ever used alendronate was associated with an 86% higher risk of newly detected atrial fibrillation compared with never having used the drug,"" said Tehran Times,

Old men, brittle bones  -  May 21, 2008
Bisphosphonates on the market here include risedronate (trade name Actonel), alendronate (Fosamax) and etidronate (Didronel). The bisphosphonates are now ABC Online,

Generic drug options save considerable health-care costs  -  May 28, 2008
Pantoprazole, used to treat heartburn, can replace Protonix, and Alendronate, used for osteoporosis, provides the same treatment as Fosamax. Plattsburgh Press Republican,

Osteoporosis in Indians  -  May 30, 2008
Bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate or ibandronate) are clearly the drugs of choice in the usual moderate to severe cases. RedOrbit,

On the Pulse - 9th May  -  May 9, 2008
The results suggest that there are unlikely to be significant differences in efficacy between alendronate and risedronate, and probably not between OnMedica,

Comparative Efficacy: What We Know, What We Need to Know, and How ...  -  May 5, 2008
They found that individuals receiving alendronate, risedronate, and raloxifene had similar fracture risk, which was considerably lower than with calcitonin. Annals of Internal Medicine

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for May 6, 2008, issue  -  May 5, 2008
Those who took nasal calcitonin had more nonvertebral fractures than those who took alendronate. A study like this one, which uses existing administrative EurekAlert (press release),

Drug prices differ from store to store  -  May 19, 2008
One of the drugs, generic alendronate for osteoporosis, had a price range of $124 to $306. •Check independents. While mom-and-pop stores are not the Chicago Tribune,

We Are Experiencing a Seismic Event in the Treatment of Osteoporosis  -  May 27, 2008
The first question being asked of any new product now is “How is this better than alendronate?�? Panelists provide insight into the cross currents of Business Wire (press release),

Women, This Is Your National Health Week  -  May 15, 2008
...drugs tamoxifen and alendronate, as well as the generic version of the osteoporosis medication Fosamax—for $9, with a 90-day supply selling for $24. U.S. News & World Report,

Ralphs Expands Discounted Generic Drug Program  -  May 14, 2008
They include drugs such as tamoxifen to treat breast cancer, combination estrogen/methyltestosterone for hormone replacement, as well as Alendronate, FOXBusiness

Wal-Mart adds to its $4 drug program  -  May 6, 2008
Additional women's health medicines – such as Alendronate, a new generic version of Fosamax used to treat osteoporosis, and tamoxifen and Dallas Morning News,

Costs Can Vary By $100 or More for Same Drugs  -  May 5, 2008
And the costs for the generic osteoporosis drug alendronate ranged from $124 to $306, the survey found. Costco was the cheapest source for the four drugs, Washington Post,

Fewer uninsured going to ERs  -  May 20, 2008
About 5 percent of the women were taking Fosamax (alendronate), a bisphosphonate, or had taken it at some time, and 719 of the subjects had received a Sarasota Herald-Tribune,

Drug Prices in Rochester Vary Widely  -  May 19, 2008
If you think that $56 difference is high, what about alendronate, the generic version of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax? Four 70 milligram tablets will cost 13WHAM-TV,

Business Briefs  -  May 19, 2008
One of the drugs, generic alendronate for osteoporosis, had a price range of $124 to $306. » Check independents. While mom-and-pop stores are not the Honolulu Star-Bulletin,

Missed bisphosphonate dose raises fracture risk  -  May 19, 2008
Elderly women who take less than 80% of their prescribed doses of alendronate or risedronate have a 27% increased risk of nonvertebral fractures, Pulse,

Market Report -- In Play (AMGN)  -  May 19, 2008
Amgen announces denosumab osteoporosis study meets primary and all secondary bone mineral density endpoints in Alendronate (FOSAMAX) transition study Co MSN Money

Barr Reports First Quarter 2008 GAAP Earnings of $0.21 Per Share ...  -  May 8, 2008
These decreases were partially offset by increases in sales of Fentanyl Citrate and the launch of the Company's Alendronate product. Earthtimes (press release),

Some Patients Paying as Much as $85 for a Three-Month Supply of ...  -  May 7, 2008
The generic drug alendronate for osteoporosis ranged from $124 to $306. According to Consumer Reports, Costco had the lowest prices for the four drugs, About - News & Issues,

Teva Reports First Quarter 2008 Results  -  May 5, 2008
...which were launched in 2007, the launch of a generic version of Fosamax® (alendronate) in the first quarter of 2008 and strong sales of Copaxone®. Business Wire (press release),

Drug Therapy for Osteoporosis  -  May 5, 2008
The drug treatments included oral bisphosphonates (alendronate or risedronate), nasal calcitonin, and oral raloxifene. The researchers then reviewed Annals of Internal Medicine

Kroger Matches Wal-Mart’s $10 90-Day Generics Offer  -  May 13, 2008
They include drugs such as tamoxifen to treat breast cancer, combination estrogen/methyltestosterone for hormone replacement, as well as Alendronate, Supermarket News,

» Client Press Release  -  May 28, 2008
3 head-to-head study versus alendronate (the “141�? study) at the upcoming European Symposium on Calcified Tissues (ECTS) Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Financial News USA (press release),

Amgen Announces Webcast to Discuss Results of denosumab Phase 3 ...  -  May 27, 2008
Fundamental data is provided by Zacks Investment Research and market data is provided by AlphaTrade. All information provided "as is" for informational istockAnalyst.com,

Shop around for best drug prices  -  May 15, 2008
One of the drugs, generic alendronate for osteoporosis, had a price range of $124 to $306. Check independents. While mom-and-pop stores are not the cheapest GoErie.com,

Barr Reports First Quarter 2008 GAAP Earnings of $0.21 Per Share ...  -  May 8, 2008
These decreases were partially offset by increases in sales of Fentanyl Citrate and the launch of the Company's Alendronate product. SunHerald.com,

Ten prescription drugs accounted for more than $1B in spending ...  -  May 5, 2008
Generic Fosamax (alendronate) to treat osteoporosis and generic Protonix (pantoprazole) to treat heartburn became available in generic form in early 2008. ReadMedia (Press Release),

Pick your poison  -  May 4, 2008
The researcher's report, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that the drug, whose generic name is alendronate, may increase the risk of Toledo Blade,

NICE backs down over alendronate  -  Apr 7, 2008
By Nigel Praities NICE has backed down over its controversial decision to recommend alendronate as the sole option for the secondary prevention of fractures Pulse,

The Utilisation and Expenditure of Medicines for the Prophylaxis ...  -  Apr 14, 2008
Approximately 65% of all patients who were dispensed drugs for the management of osteoporosis were prescribed either Alendronate (Fosamax once weekly) or Irish Medical Journal,

NICE reverse osteoporosis decision  -  Apr 17, 2008
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has reversed its decision to recommend alendronate as the only osteoporosis treatment for Nursing in Practice,

Osteoporosis meds and bone collapse: weighing the risks  -  Apr 8, 2008
Rarely, osteonecrosis of the jaw has been reported in patients with osteoporosis who were taking oral bisphosphonates such as alendronate (brand name Globe and Mail,

NICE U-turn on osteoporosis  -  Apr 10, 2008
NICE has reversed its decision to recommend alendronate as the only treatment option for osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. A draft appraisal document Healthcare Republic (press release),

Merck Reports First-Quarter 2008 Financial Results  -  Apr 21, 2008
Worldwide sales of FOSAMAX and FOSAMAX PLUS D (alendronate sodium/cholecalciferol), which is marketed as FOSAVANCE throughout the European Union, Fuerteventura Digital,

Almost Family Prices 2.25 Mln Common Share Offering - Quick Facts ...  -  Apr 11, 2008
Teva's Alendronate products are subject to multiple European litigations between MSD, Teva and other parties, relating to both Alendronate 10mg and RTT News,

Servier Welcomes Revised NICE Guidance On Postmenopausal ...  -  Apr 4, 2008
1 NICE had originally recommended only one treatment (alendronate) for the estimated 2 million post-menopausal osteoporosis sufferers in England and Wales. Medical News Today (press release),

Lilly's Drug Recieves European Approval for New Use  -  Apr 4, 2008
...teriparatide included new data from the "Teriparatide or Alendronate in Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis" study, which was published in the November 15, Inside INdiana Business (press release),

Bone-loss meds carry risk of jaw problems  -  Apr 20, 2008
These include alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), ibandronate (Boniva) and others. These drugs have been effective in preventing fractures, Daytona Beach News-Journal,

Bisphosphonates drug could be linked to Incidence Of Bone Necrosis  -  Apr 18, 2008
Bisphosphonates (BFs), such as popularly prescribed Fosamax® (alendronate sodium), are a class of drugs that act to prevent bone fractures in patients with TopCancerNews.com,

Medical Edge: Take steps to ease discomfort in the esophagus  -  Apr 14, 2008
Certain medications, such as alendronate (Fosamax), potassium, and some types of antibiotics, could lead to esophageal inflammation (irritation) and Post-Bulletin,

Once A Year Treatment For Osteoporosis  -  Apr 4, 2008
Drugs like Fosamax (alendronate sodium) and Actonel (risedronate sodium) are taken once a week, and Boniva (ibandronate sodium) is taken once a month. WPTV,

Teva Announces Brussels Court Decision to Revoke MSD's European ...  -  Apr 14, 2008
This patent relates to Fosamax® Once Weekly (Alendronate 70mg Once Weekly). This favorable decision follows a similar judgment rendered by the Hague Prdomain Business Register (press release),

Teva Pharma Industries Reveals Court Decision To Revoke European ...  -  Apr 11, 2008
Teva's Alendronate products were subject to litigation that included MSD, Teva and other parties. The Alendornate products included both Alendronate 10mg RTT News,

Lilly's osteoporosis drug Forsteo gets fresh approval in EU  -  Apr 7, 2008
...teriparatide significantly increased lumbar spine bone mineral density from baseline (7.2%) compared to Merck & Co’s Fosamax (alendronate; 3.4%) at 18 Pharma Times (subscription),

Study shows once-yearly Aclasta®  -  Apr 11, 2008
A single zoledronic acid5mg infusion is preferred over weekly 70 mg oral alendronate in aclinical trial of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung),

Brand Names/Synonyms:
Alendronate is also known by the following brand names and/or synonymsALENDRONIC ACID; Acide Alendronique [Inn-French]; Acido Alendronico [Inn-Spanish]; Acidum Alendronicum [Inn-Latin]; Adronat; Alendronate; Alendronate Sodium; Alendronic Acid; Alendronic Acid [Ban:Inn]; Alendros; Arendal; CHEMBANK1709; Fosamax; MK 217; Onclast

Drug Category:
Alendronate is categorized under the following by the FDA: Antiresorptives; Bisphosphonates; Antihypocalcemic Agents; ATC:M05BA04

Dosage Forms:
10 mg (Rx) Fosamax lactose 40 mg (Rx) Fosamax lactose

Absorption:
Relative to an intravenous (IV) reference dose, the mean oral bioavailability of alendronate in women was 0.7% for doses ranging from 5 to 40 mg when administered after an overnight fast and two hours before a standardized breakfast. Oral bioavailability of the 10 mg tablet in men (0.59%) was similar to that in women (0.78%) when administered after an overnight fast and 2 hours before breakfast.

Interactions:
Intravenous ranitidine was shown to double the bioavailability of oral alendronate. The clinical significance of this increased bioavailability and whether similar increases will occur in patients given oral H2-antagonists is unknown; no other specific drug interaction studies were performed. Products containing calcium and other multivalent cations likely will interfere with absorption of alendronate.

Chemical IUPAC Name:
(4-amino-1-hydroxy-1-phosphono-butyl)phosphonic acid

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