Thousands of post-menopausal women in England could benefit from a new drug that reduces the risk of bone fractures.
Abaloparatide, marketed as Eladynos and manufactured by Theramex, has been given the green light for use in the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).
A pre-filled pen is used to give injections into the skin at home once a day, stimulating cells that drive bone growth.
Bone density begins to decrease in the period before menopause due to a decrease in levels of the female sex hormone estrogen.
The drug has been recommended for patients at high risk of fractures and regulator Nice estimates it could benefit more than 14,000 women who have gone through menopause.
The drug Abaloparatide has been recommended for patients at high risk of fractures (file image)
Regulatory authority Nice estimates that Abaloparatide could benefit more than 14,000 postmenopausal women
Dr Louise Newson, founder of Newson Health clinics, said hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should “remain the first line of treatment” for most women as a new injection has been approved for women that could reduce the risk of bone fractures after the menopause.
Professor Jonathan Benger, deputy chief executive of Nice, said: ‘The independent committee heard how debilitating osteoporosis affects every aspect of daily life, such as not going for a walk for fear of falling and breaking a bone.
‘This can harm mental and physical health.
‘Our goal is to enable access to care that improves quality of life while providing value to taxpayers.’
It is understood that abaloparatide will be available to eligible patients on the NHS within three months.
Craig Jones, chief executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: ‘Given that half of all women over the age of 50 will suffer bone fractures due to osteoporosis, and the extent of disability these fractures cause, the dearth of new treatments over the past decade and a half has been a major cause for concern.
“This will change thousands of lives for the better.”
Dr Louise Newson, founder of Newson Health clinics, said hormone replacement therapy (HRT) “remains the first line of treatment” for most women.
She added: “In addition to strengthening bones, hormone replacement therapy also reduces the risk of other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, clinical depression and dementia.”