Alendronate in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

The following article reviews the results of 2 investigational Phase III trials of alendronate. Alendronate has been found to induce clinically significant increases in bone mineral density at the spine, hip and other cortical and trabecular sites while maintaining bone quality thereby reducing the rate of vertebral fracture. Alendronate was revealed to be well tolerated, with a good safety profile; a dose of 10 mg daily offers the best risk:benefit ratio and appears to be the optimal dosage for the treatment of established postmenopausal osteoporosis. The persistence of bone gain with extended treatment offers a considerable advantage over currently available forms of therapy.