Amgen’s expectations for romosozumab take a hit as Radius lines up its rival osteoporosis drug
Amgen has helped shore up expectations for its osteoporosis drug romosozumab, releasing updated Phase III data that underscore its straight shot at a marketing approval. But the big biotech, which is partnered on this program with UCB, may have to concede a big piece of this competitive market after spelling out its failure on a key secondary endpoint.
Romo — which targets the sclerostin protein — followed by Amgen’s Prolia (denosumab) clearly vaulted the bar in Phase III for reducing vertebral fractures, with a hefty 75% risk reduction compared to a placebo plus denosumab. Investigators also were able to show a better safety profile in its presentation at the annual confab of the American Society for Bone Mineral Research. And there was an increase in bone mineral density among the drug arm in the study, which recruited 7,180 high-prism postmenopausal women.
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