Eldecalcitol cuts risk of fractures in osteoporosis

Japanese drugmakers Chugai Pharmaceutical and Taisho Pharmaceutical say that their jointly-developed drug candidate eldecalcitol significantly  reduced the incidence of new vertebral fractures in osteoporosis  patients in a randomized, double-blind, comparative, late-stage trial.

Detailed results from the study of the active vitamin D3 derivative will  be published in a medical journal and announced at an upcoming  conference, the firms noted. The Phase III trial, begun in 2004,  compared the efficacy and safety of eldecalcitol with Chugai's  currently-marketed vitamin D3 prodrug alfacalcidol in 1,087 osteoporosis  patients. The drugs showed a similar safety profile.