Abaloparatide for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Abaloparatide is a synthetic 34-amino acid peptide analogue of the 1-34 portion of the human parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). It has been approved in the U.S. for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at a high risk for fracture. Abaloparatide is an anabolic agent and it seems to have a potent anabolic activity with reduced effects on bone resorption. It reduces the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures, major osteoporotic fractures and clinical fractures, with a significant improvement in bone mineral density at femoral neck, total hip and lumbar spine. In this article we summarize the development of the abaloparatide molecule and preclinical and clinical studies published so far. Results from clinical trials indicate that abaloparatide may become an important option for the anabolic treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.