A Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Denosumab in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis

Denosumab ( fully human monoclonal antibody to Rank-Ligand) was approved for the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis in June 2010, and is highly effective to reduce the risk of vertebral, non-vertebral, and hip fracture risk. The registration of denosumab was the culmination of the discovery and clarification of the internal bone microenvironment regulation of bone remodeling: the osteoblast-produced “competitors: Rank-Ligand and Osteoprotogerin (OPG); and the osteoclast-receptor: RANK. When Rank-Ligand , which is up regulated in the estrogen-deficient state, and exceeds the amount of OPG, there is an increase in osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption, and, is the major mechanism for bone mass loss and osteoporotic fractures in the postmenopausal state….