Effect of salmon calcitonin nasal spray on bone mass in patients with high turnover osteoporosis

Comparison of cyclic and continuous calcitonin regimens in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis

We aimed to compare and evaluate the efficacies of a continuous regimen of intranasal salmon calcitonin (SCT) and two cyclic regimens (different cyclic regimens from previous studies) based on alternating 15 days or on 10 days consecutively per month for 1 year in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. We performed an open-label, prospective, randomized clinical trial. A total of 120 postmenopausal osteoporotic participants between 50 and 65 years old were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Patients in group 1 (n = 40) received continuously SCT nasal spray at a dose of 200 IU/day, plus continuously 500 mg/day elementary calcium and 0.25 microg/day 1-alpha hydroxyvitamin D3, for 1 year. Patients in group 2 (n = 40) received cyclically SCT nasal spray at a dose of 200 IU/day on alternating 15 days per month, plus continuously 500 mg/day elementary calcium and 0.25 microg/day 1-alpha hydroxyvitamin D3, for 1 year. Patients in group 3 (n = 40) received cyclically SCT nasal spray on 10 days consecutively per month (20 days/month rest), plus continuously 500 mg/day elementary calcium and 0.25 microg/day 1-alpha hydroxyvitamin D3, for 1 year. Data was evaluated by repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, statistical differences between groups were assessed by the two-tailed Student's t test. After 1 year of the study, seven patients from group 1, eight patients from group 2 and five patients from group 3 withdrew from the study. No patient discontinued the study because of adverse drug effects. There was a statistically-significant improvement in pain intensity VAS scores at the end of the year to baseline scores in all three groups (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in pain intensity VAS scores between groups at the end of the year (p > 0.05). Lumbar and femur neck BMD scores improved significantly at the end of treatment in all three groups (p < 0.05). There was no statistically-significant difference in BMD scores between groups at final (p > 0.05). Urinary DPD/Cre levels decreased significantly in all three groups by the end of the year (p < 0.05). There was no statistically-significant difference in urinary DPD/Cre final levels between groups (p > 0.05). According to the results of the present study, consecutive 10 days therapy with SCT, which is the first in the literature to our knowledge, is as effective as the other two regimens in the treatment of osteoporosis. Both cyclic regimens in our study (alternating 15 days and 10 consecutive days each month for 1 year) do appear to offer some advantages, especially economically and clinically, as compared to continuous treatment.

The effect of intranasal salmon calcitonin therapy on bone mineral density in idiopathic male osteoporosis without vertebral fractures--an open label study

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of intranasal salmon calcitonin therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) in idiopathic male osteoporosis without vertebral fractures. We conducted a randomized, open label, controlled trial in 71 male patients (mean age 59 +/- 6 years) suffering from idiopathic osteoporosis (femoral neck T-score < -2.5) without vertebral deformity. Patients in the control group (n = 31) received 400 IU Vitamin D + 1000 mg elemental calcium daily while the treatment group (n = 40) received 400 IU Vitamin D, 1000 mg elemental calcium plus 200 IU calcitonin nasal spray daily during alternate months. The study period was 18 months. Compared to controls, nasal calcitonin was associated with significant increases in bone mineral density at the lumbar spine (+3.5 +/- (-4.3%) vs. +0.83 +/- 6.4%, P = 0.04) and the femoral neck (+3.2 +/- 3.9% vs. +0.68 +/- 5.7%, P = 0.004). No significant difference was observed at the radius between the treatment groups (+1.4 +/- 8.8% vs. +1.4 +/- 10.9%, P = 0.98). Treatment was well tolerated with no premature discontinuations or significant side effects compared to the control group. We conclude that 200 IU salmon calcitonin nasal spray used daily, intermittently proved to be an effective and safe therapy in male idiopathic osteoporosis.

Calcitonin alters bone quality in beagle dogs

Because of its antiresorptive properties, calcitonin is widely used to prevent and treat osteoporosis. A stimulatory effect of calcitonin on osteoblasts has also been reported; however, a recent histologic study points to a negative effect of calcitonin on mineralization of cancellous bone. The present experiment was performed to determine whether the observed histological signs of alterations in mineralization are also observed in cortical bone and whether this results in changes in mechanical properties, mineral densities, or mineral properties of canine bone. Sixteen female adult beagle dogs were randomly allocated to receive either human calcitonin at a dose of 0.25 mg/dog (50 IU, n = 8) or vehicle (mannitol, n = 8) every other day for 16 weeks. At the end of the study, the dogs were euthanized. Both tibiae, L1 and L5 vertebrae, and iliac crest bone samples were excised and defleshed. Torsional mechanical properties of tibial diaphyses and compressive strengths of vertebrae were measured. Bone mineral densities (BMD) of tibiae and vertebrae were measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Ultrastructural mineral characteristics of iliac crest bone were determined by gravimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Bone histomorphometry was performed in the cortical envelope of the iliac crest. Tibiae from dogs treated with calcitonin withstood significantly less maximum torque until failure, required less torsional energy to reach the maximum torque, and had less torsional stiffness than the tibiae from dogs treated with vehicle (p < 0.05). Cancellous cores of vertebrae from calcitonin-treated dogs withstood less compressive mechanical loading than did vertebral cores from vehicle-treated animals (p < 0.05). Dogs treated with calcitonin had less BMD of both tibiae and vertebrae than vehicle-treated animals (p < 0.05). Bones from calcitonin-treated dogs had significantly less ash content, which correlated with the lower phosphate-to-amide I (detected by FTIR) and greater carbonate-to-phosphate ratios than did bones from vehicle-treated dogs (p < 0.05). Calcitonin-treated dogs exhibited a decrease in bone formation and mineralization rates and an increase in mineralization lag time. These results point to a negative effect of calcitonin on bone quality. These findings are intriguing and call for further studies addressing whether the observed abnormalities are transient or permanent.

Salmon calcitonin nasal spray : An effective alternative to estrogen therapy in select postmenopausal women

The efficacy and safety of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and salmon calcitonin in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis are reviewed with special consideration given to patients for whom ERT, the primary antiresorptive therapy for osteoporosis, is not indicated, tolerable, or is refused. The various formulations of estrogen and salmon calcitonin, for which the nasal spray formulation was recently approved for use in the United States, are reviewed in depth with reference to dose ranges, side effects, and convenience. Data regarding increases in bone mineral density (BMD) produced by each agent are presented. Specifically, the range of increases in BMD induced by ERT and salmon calcitonin are comparable. Given the substantial public health consequences of postmenopausal osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures, the primary care physician is increasingly faced with the need to educated and recruit postmenopausal patients to appropriate therapy with the optimal agent for that particular patient. In the many patients who are unable or unwilling to accept, initiate, and comply with prescribed ERT, alternative therapeutic options are necessary Based on the established safety profile of salmon calcitonin, ease of administration, an uncomplicated dosing regimen, no reported drug interactions, and the lack of uterine bleeding associated with ERT or gastrointestinal adverse effects of other agents used to treat osteoporosis, salmon calcitonin nasal spray is an appropriate alternative approach for the treatment of postmenopausal bone loss.

Intranasal salcatonin (salmon calcitonin). A review of its pharmacological properties and role in the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a common problem among postmenopausal women and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and costs primarily resulting from osteoporotic fractures. Salcatonin (salmon calcitonin) inhibits osteoclastic bone resorption and is approximately 40 to 50 times more potent than human calcitonin. In most randomised trials in which intranasal salcatonin (usually 50 to 200 IU/day plus oral calcium supplements) was administered for 1 to 5 years to postmenopausal women for prevention of osteoporosis, bone mineral density or content of the lumbar spine increased by approximately 1 to 3% from baseline. In contrast, postmenopausal women receiving only oral calcium supplements typically had reductions in bone mineral density or content of about 3 to 6%. The difference between treatment groups was statistically significant in essentially all studies. Although changes in bone mineral density or content were broadly similar in studies of postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis to those in postmenopausal women receiving therapy for prevention of the disease, studies in women with established osteoporosis did not usually demonstrate statistically significant differences between treatment groups. Also in postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis, intranasal salcatonin reduced pain and/or analgesic consumption in some trials and, in a limited number of studies of relatively short duration (i.e. < or = 2 years), the incidence of osteoporotic fractures. A large multicentre 5-year study with adequate statistical power to confirm the effect of intranasal salcatonin on reducing osteoporotic fracture rates in postmenopausal women is currently under way. The intranasal formulation of salcatonin offers a more convenient and better tolerated alternative to the parenteral formulation of the drug which is administered by regular subcutaneous or intramuscular injections. Adverse events associated with the intranasal formulation are generally mild and transient, usually involving local reactions such as nasal discomfort, rhinorrhoea or rhinitis. Thus, for postmenopausal women unable or unwilling to tolerate long term hormone replacement therapy, intranasal salcatonin is an attractive alternative for the management of osteoporosis.

Calcitonin prevents bone loss but decreases osteoblastic activity in ovariohysterectomized beagle dogs

The antiresorptive effects of calcitonin are well documented. Recent in vitro and in vivo evidence points to an anabolic effect of calcitonin on osteoblasts. To assess the value of calcitonin in preventing the rapid and early bone loss after cessation of ovarian function and to investigate its effects on osteoblasts in vivo, 32 dogs were ovariohysterectomized (OHX) and 32 dogs were sham-operated (Sham). After the surgeries, half of the OHX and Sham dogs received every-other-day subcutaneous injections of human calcitonin (0.25 mg/dog/d), and the remaining dogs were given vehicle. Half of the animals had a bone biopsy at week 2 and were euthanized thereafter; the other half of the animals underwent a bone biopsy at month 1 and were euthanized at month 4. Blood drawings were done at baseline and at the time of each bone biopsy. Calcitonin prevented the increase in erosion depth seen in OHX animals and prevented the cancellous bone loss observed at 2 weeks and at 1 and 4 months. Calcitonin did not affect bone volume in Sham dogs. However, treatment with calcitonin induced a decrease in mineralizing surfaces and bone formation rates at the bone surface and cell level and an increase in mineralization lag time in both Sham and OHX animals without significantly affecting osteoblast number. This finding indicates that the negative effect of calcitonin on bone mineralization is not solely the result of a decrease in bone turnover. The data show that calcitonin, because of its antiresorptive effects, can prevent bone loss after cessation of ovarian function. However, short-term treatment with calcitonin does not stimulate osteoblast activity; on the contrary, it exerts a negative effect on osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization. Long-term studies are needed to investigate whether this unwanted effect of calcitonin on osteoblasts in vivo represents a transitory or persistent phenomenon.

Ultrasound parameters in osteoporotic patients treated with salmon calcitonin: a longitudinal study

Speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of ultrasound (US) in bone have been proposed as alternatives to radiation-based methods for the quantitative assessment of osteoporosis. However, the usefulness of US in monitoring response to treatment in osteoporotic patients has yet to be defined. To compare US with bone mineral density (BMD), we studied 112 osteoporotic women (age range 50-64 years). Seventy-eight of them were treated with salmon calcitonin nasal spray (CT; 200 IU/day, 1 month on and 1 month off) and calcium (500 mg/day); 34 patients were given only calcium. One hundred and four women complied with treatment throughout the 2-year study period. At baseline and after 1 and 2 years we measured BMD at lumbar spine by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and SOS, BUA and Stiffness index, by an Achilles ultrasound unit. Moreover, biochemical markers of bone turnover (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and hydroxyproline) were also measured at baseline and after 6, 12 and 24 months. In the calcitonin-treated group at the end of the study period BMD had increased by 1.99%, SOS by 0.20%, BUA by 0.88% and Stiffness by 2.12%. By contrast in the calcium-treated group all parameters had decreased (BMD, -2.66%; SOS, -0.55%; BUA, -3.30%; Stiffness, -6.0%) by the end of the study period. The differences between groups were significant for BMD, SOS and Stiffness. At baseline a significant, but weak correlation was found between BMD and US parameters. The correlation coefficients between percentage changes at the end of the study period, in BMD and in SOS, BUA and Stiffness, were all significant (p < 0.001), being 0.41, 0.53 and 0.57 respectively. In conclusion, ultrasound measurements carried out in conjunction with BMD measurements will yield a more comprehensive assessment of skeletal status and may be helpful in monitoring the response to treatment in osteoporotic patients.

Patient responsiveness to calcitonin salmon nasal spray: a subanalysis of a 2-year study

A subanalysis of results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 2-year study was conducted to evaluate the response of individual patients to therapy with 200 IU/d calcitonin salmon nasal spray compared with placebo in postmenopausal women who had low bone mass. All patients received 500 mg/d of oral supplemental calcium. A response to therapy was defined as an increase from baseline in lumbar vertebral bone mineral density, measured by use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, at the end of 2 years of treatment. Of 41 valid completers (ie, patients who met the entry criteria, were compliant with the protocol, and completed the study) treated with calcitonin salmon nasal spray, 31 (76%) responded positively to treatment. Of 40 valid completers who received placebo, 25 (63%) lost bone mass (P = 0.001 between groups). The relative risk of bone loss for patients receiving calcitonin salmon nasal spray was 0.19 (95% confidence interval, 0.07 to 0.50), representing an 81% risk reduction. This subanalysis demonstrates that the benefits of calcitonin salmon nasal spray therapy were seen in the majority of women studied. Calcitonin salmon nasal spray represents an effective therapeutic alternative for osteoporotic women more than 5 years postmenopause who reject or cannot tolerate estrogens or for whom estrogens are contraindicated.

Calcitonin in the Prevention and Therapy of Osteoporotic Syndromes

It is now generally accepted that estrogen status, exercise and adequate calcium intake are the singularly most important factors which guarantee the assumption of genetically programmed peak bone mass. Physicians also recognize that estrogen replacement therapy is not only essential to prevent bone loss in the early postmenopausal female, but also for the long-term preservation of bone mineral density. The efficacy of either continuous or intermittent calmon calcitonin administration in preventing further bone loss and in some instances decreasing fracture incidences in established osteoporotic syndromes is currently well established. As noted during a variety of controlled investigations performed both in the United States and abroad, and in the Physician's Resource Manual on Osteoporosis published by the United States National Osteoporosis Foundation, salmon calcitonin is also effective in early postmenopausal women who are not candidates for estrogen replacement therapy in addition to those patients with established osteoporosis. The practicing physician should acknowledge that of all the anti-resorptive agents recommended for therapy in osteoporotic syndromes, estrogens and salmon calcitonin are currently the only two drugs recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as safe and effective as treatment modalities in osteoporosis.