Scientists have developed a drug which is administered intravenously in hopsital for 15 minutes, once a year which could help protect sufferers of Osteoporosis from broken bones.

Scientists testing the drug claim that it is just as effective as a pill which most sufferers currently take once a week.

Osteoprosis is a brittle bone disease which causes the bones to become more porous so increasing the risk of fracture. It is estimated that 3 million elderly people suffer from the disease, or which a high percentage are women.

The advantage over the normal pill regimen is that the pills are normally taken while following a number of strict rules, including taking them standing up at fixed times of the day.

The drug is still in the testing phase as the initial test were made on women and the injection would also need to be tested to see the results on men. There are also a few side effects of the drug including an increase in atrial fibrillation.

The news of the drug was welcomed by many osteoporosis sufferers who worry about a weekly pill.

Source : Daily Mail Online
Date : 3/05/2007

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