A bright future for osteoporosis treatment

Osteoporosis is a serious and common condition with very high associated healthcare costs. However, methods for earlier detection and more effective treatment appear likely to produce significant improvement both in the immediate future and in the longer term. Introduction of biological markers of bone turnover should greatly assist in the conduct and evaluation of clinical trials. In addition, a number of very novel approaches are also under investigation that could lead to the introduction of new agents with a wide range of mechanisms of action. These developments were discussed at the Second Joint Meeting of the European Calcified Tissue Society and the International Bone and Mineral Society, held June 25-29, 2005, in Geneva, Switzerland.