In this prospective, controlled trial, 180 osteopenic postmenopausal women were randomized to receive a single dose of placebo or 1 mg, 2.5 mg, or 5 mg of
zoledronate. The women had never been treated with
zoledronate or any other bisphosphonate medication.
In this study, acute phase reaction occurred less often in the
zoledronate low-dose 1-mg group (odds ratio, 2.8) than in either of the higher-dose groups (OR, 8.7 for the 2.5-mg group and 7.4 for the 5-mg group).
Within the bisphosphonate class, ibandronate and
zoledronate are available in intravenous formulations, administered every 3 months and every 12 months, respectively.
Dental extractions, estrogen-receptor-positive tumors, and treatment with pamidronate and
zoledronate were shown to be significant risk factors for ONJ in breast cancer patients.
He holds a patent for the use of
zoledronate in patients who have sustained hip fractures.
However, when examined separately, ALP levels in the
zoledronate group continued to drop, while they increased after 6 months with pamidronate.
At the time of denosumab discontinuation, 59% received
zoledronate, 24% alendronate, 3% other drugs, and 14% nothing.
Fracture prevention with
zoledronate in older women with osteopenia.
Reid, M.D., from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and colleagues randomly assigned 2,000 older women (≥65 years) with osteopenia to receive four infusions of
zoledronate (5 mg) or normal saline (placebo group) at 18-month intervals over six years.
Researchers from the University of Auckland found that drug
zoledronate reduced about one-third the risk of fracture in elderly women with osteopenia -- earlier stages of bone loss, the npr.org reported.
Several medications are available for treating osteoporosis, including alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel), and
zoledronate (Zometa).
Ibandronate has previously been approved for postmenopausal osteoporosis in the US.[46] In vitro studies [47] have demonstrated that nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (alendronate, pamidronate, ibandronate,
zoledronate, and risedronate) showed an approximately 10,000-fold greater potency than nonnitrogen-containing drugs (clodronate and etidronate).