[Evidence for osteoporosis treatment using PTH (1-34) daily subcutaneous injection]

PTH (1-34) daily subcutaneous injection is a bone anabolic agent. It has already been approved in more than 80 countries over the world (including Europe and United States) and in Japan on Jul 2010. The number of patients treated with this agent is more than 20 thousand in Japan and about one million over the world. In nonclinical studies, teriparatide was shown to have a unique bone formation-stimulating effect not seen in existing drugs. In domestic and overseas clinical studies, teriparatide was shown to have strong effects in increasing BMD, promoting remodeling of bone microstructure and suppressing the onset of fracture. Furthermore, it can increase BMD through stimulation of bone formation regardless of the nature of prior treatment or the presence/absence of responses to prior treatment. With these features, teriparatide is expected to serve as a first-line drug for management of patients with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture.