Osteoporosis Drug Builds Bone in Patients With Gum Disease

US Pharm. 2010;35(11):8. 

Ann Arbor, MI—A drug that grows bone in osteoporosis patients also can heal bone wounds in gum disease patients, according to a University of Michigan study. Patients with severe gum disease received either injections of teriparatide--an anabolic osteoporosis drug--into the abdomen or stomach or placebo for 6 weeks. After 1 year, bone-level measurements in the teriparatide group improved by 29% (a 10-fold increase), versus 3% in the placebo group. Until now, it has been very difficult to reverse bone loss from periodontal disease. The next step is to determine whether the teriparatide treatment could be delivered locally to target site-specific bone healing.