2-year data for Merck & Co's odanacatib

The USA's Merck & Co reported two-year data from a Phase IIb study of odanacatib (formerly MK-0822), an investigational, selective cathepsin-K inhibitor being developed for the treatment of osteoporosis, demonstrating dose-dependent increases in bone mineral density at the total hip, lumbar spine and femoral neck fracture sites and decreased indices of bone resorption compared to placebo in postmenopausal women with low BMD at the meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

The multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluated doses of 3mg, 10mg, 25mg or 50mg of odanacatib administered orally, once-weekly in 399 post-menopausal women with low BMD for 24 months. The 10mg, 25mg and 50mg of odanacatib significantly increased BMD at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck at 24 months compared to baseline values. Treatment with 3mg odanacatib resulted in reduced BMD at the locations.