Aclasta more effective than risedronate

A study published in the April 14 issue of The Lancet shows that a once-yearly infusion of Novartis' Aclasta (zoledronic acid) 5mg is  significantly more effective than a 5mg pill of risedronate in  preventing and treating glucocorticoid-inducted osteoporosis in both men  and women, at 12 months of treatment.

Swiss drug major Novartis noted that the greater efficacy of Aclasta on  bone mineral density at the lumbar spine was evident as early as six  months after initiation. This is important in the prevention of GIO  because a reduction in bone mineral density and the associated increase  in fracture risk can occur within three months of initiating  glucocorticoids.