[Drugs under development for osteoporosis ]

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone is reduced, leading to an increase in fragility fractures. Osteoporosis is a major health threat affecting more than 10 million people in Japan. Emerging evidence has shown that anti-resorptive drugs such as bisphosphonates and raloxifene efficiently increase bone mass and prevent osteoporotic fractures by maintaining bone homeostasis. In addition, anabolic drugs such as parathyroid hormone and novel anti-resorptive drugs such as anti-RANKL drugs and cathepsin K inhibitors, which directly target osteoclasts are under development. In this review, we would like to summarize the current status of the development of anti-osteoporotic drugs.