Teriparatide (Forteo) May Accelerate Bone Healing
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, APRIL 15, 2009
Teriparatide, a recombinant form of parathyroid hormone marketed by Eli Lilly as Forteo, has been shown to stimulate stem cell production and accelerate the healing of fractured bones, according to study data presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in February.
Teriparatide is delivered by injection and indicated for treating certain forms of osteoporosis. However, in addition to increasing bone mass and preventing fractures, preliminary data show that it may also have an application for fracture repair. University of Rochester researchers gave the drug to 145 patients with an unhealed fracture, half of which were unhealed six months or longer, and 93% showed significant healing and reported less pain after eight to 12 weeks. Rochester's director of musculoskeletal research describes the treatment as a "simple, in-body stem cell therapy."
This treatment has a number of applications, primarily for an aging population. Teriparatide could stimulate healing of pelvic, clavicle or vertebral fractures, for which treatment is currently limited. The article adds that teriparatide could be used in patients with non-healing fractures or patients who aren't surgical candidates and could even reduce the size of an incision.
