Fosrenol as effective as standard therapy in hyperphosphatemia

UK-based drugmaker Shire says that data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology held in San Diego, USA, show that its drug Fosrenol (lanthanum carbonate) is as effective a phosphate binder as currently available treatments. The firm added that the conclusion is based on two-year results, which demonstrate that the agent brought about similar control of serum phosphate and calcium levels as standard therapies in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and was not associated with an increased incidence of osteomalacia (bone softening).

Lead study investigator, Hartmut Malluche, a professor of medicine at the University of Kentucky, USA, said: "patients with end-stage renal disease are seriously ill and the burden of their illness is often compounded by co-existing conditions." Prof Malluche added that ESRD sufferers can experience significant bone problems as a result of hyperphosphatemia, and that the results of this study indicate the Fosrenol can both control the condition and confer positive benefits in terms of bone health to this group of patients.