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First IV for Osteo

Recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Roche and GlaxoSmithKline’s ibandronate sodium (Boniva) injection has become the first intravenous (IV) therapy for postmenopausal osteoporosis. The treatment is administered by a health care professional three times per month via a 15 to 30 second IV injection. It is intended for women who have difficulty with the typical dosing requirements or oral biophosphonates, particularly sitting upright for 30 to 60 minutes.

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Patching Up Bones

Patients can now alleviate hot flashes and build bone density at once—Berlex Inc’s once-a-week estrogen-only patch (estradiol/levonorgestrel transdermal system [Cilmara Pro]) has received FDA clearance for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Originally approved in 2003 to help relieve the vasomotor symptoms of menopause, this new formulation adds levonorgestrel, specifically targeting women with an intact uterus, rather than those who have had a hysterectomy.

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Femara for Early Prevention

Already cleared for use in advanced-stage therapy, Novartis’s letrozole (Femara) tablets have now been approved as a preventive treatment for the recurrence of hormone-sensitive early breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Previous studies have shown the drug to be more effective than tamoxifen when used as an initial therapy. This indication is most effective in women whose cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes as well as for those who have undergone chemotherapy.

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