Good data for Novartis' Aclasta vs risedronate

Swiss drug major Novartis has reported strong data on Aclasta (zoledronic acid 5mg solution for infusion), as a treatment for Paget's disease of the bone, over the commonly-used oral bisphosphonate risedronate.

According to the findings, which were presented at the European Congress on Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, held in Vienna, Austria, a single dose of Aclasta demonstrated a faster onset of action with significantly more patients having a sustained therapeutic response for up to two years.

The 267-patient, 20-month trial was an extension of a six-month core study, a head-to-head comparison of the two drugs which showed superior efficacy for a single 15 minute IV infusion of Aclasta as well as a faster onset of action. Novartis noted that Paget's disease is the second most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis, a chronic skeletal disorder which, in many patients, causes pain and deformities that can seriously impede daily living.