PTH-analogs: comparable or different?

Because no comparative studies exist, no clear pronouncements can be made about the potential differences in effectiveness and safety between PTH 1-34 and PTH 1-84. As regards the efficacy, a convincing reduction of vertebral fractures was shown in both cases [Neer, R.M., Arnaud, C.D., Zanchetta, J.R., Prince, R., Gaich, G.A., Reginster, J.Y., Hodsman, A.B., Eriksen, E.F., Ish-Shalom, S., Genant, H.K., Wang, O., Mitlak, B.H., 2001. Effect of parathyroid hormone (1-34) on fractures and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. N. Engl. J. Med. 344, 1434-1441; Greenspan, S.L., Bone, H.G., Ettinger, M.P., Hanley, D.A., Lindsay, R., Zanchetta, J.R., Blosch, C.M., Mathisen, A.L., Morris, S.A., Marriott, T.B., Treatment of Osteoporosis with Parathyroid Hormone Study Group, 2007. Effect of recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1-84) on vertebral fracture and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: a randomized trial. Ann. Intern. Med. 146, 326-339]. A reduction of non-vertebral fractures was shown in the case of PTH 1-34 only. Another significant resemblance is that both medicines have a strong anabolic action; this mechanism of action is essentially different from the bisphosphonates and strontium ranelate. Both medicines constitute a welcome addition to the therapeutic arsenal for patients with severe osteoporosis. More data from literature (including information on follow-up data and use in men) are available for PTH 1-34 because it has been available for longer. As regards the side effect profile, PTH 1-84 appears to have a higher incidence of hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria and nausea than teriparatide. Here, too, no comparative study exists: the differences may therefore be based on an actual difference in side effects, or it may be ascribed to differences in definitions and/or patient populations.