Gastrointestinal tolerability with ibandronate after previous weekly bisphosphonate treatment.
Data from two open-label trials (PRIOR and CURRENT) of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis or osteopenia were evaluated to assess whether monthly oral and quarterly intravenous (IV) ibandronate dosing improved self-reported gastrointestinal (GI) tolerability for patients who had previously experienced GI irritation with bisphosphonate (BP) use. In PRIOR, women who had discontinued daily or weekly BP treatment due to GI intolerance received monthly oral or quarterly IV ibandronate for 12 months. The CURRENT subanalysis included women receiving weekly BP treatment who switched to monthly oral ibandronate for six months. GI symptom severity and frequency were assessed using the Osteoporosis Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. In PRIOR, mean GI tolerability scores increased significantly at month 1 from screening for both treatment groups (oral: 79.3 versus 54.1; IV: 84.4 versus 51.0; p < 0.001 for both). Most patients reported improvement in GI symptom severity and frequency from baseline at all post-screening assessments (>90% at Month 10). In the CURRENT subanalysis >60% of patients reported improvements in heartburn or acid reflux and >70% indicated improvement in other stomach upset at month 6. Postmenopausal women with GI irritability with daily or weekly BPs experienced improvement in symptoms with extended dosing monthly or quarterly ibandronate compared with baseline.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE, USA. rderman@christianacare.org
Richard
R
Derman
Joseph D
JD
Kohles
Ann
A
Babbitt
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D000077557:Ibandronic Acid; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D000077557:Ibandronic Acid