OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2016. Amgen Astellas BioPharma K.K. (Headquarters, Tokyo; General Manager and Representative Director: Eiichi Takahashi, “Amgen Astellas”) and Astellas Pharma Inc. (Headquarters, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, “Astellas”) today announced positive top-line results for romosozumab from the pivotal Phase 3 placeBo-contRolled study evaluatIng the efficacy anD safety of romosozumab in treatinG mEn with osteoporosis (BRIDGE). These data showed the BRIDGE study met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant increase in bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (as assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) in men with osteoporosis treated with romosozumab compared with placebo at 12 months.

All secondary endpoints comparing romosozumab with placebo were also met. Patients receiving romosozumab experienced a statistically significant increase in BMD at the femoral neck and total hip at 12 months and a statistically significant increase in BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip at six months, compared with those receiving placebo.

In the BRIDGE study, a total of 245 men were randomized 2:1 to receive either 210 mg romosozumab subcutaneous (SC) every month (QM) or matched placebo SC QM for the duration of the 12-month treatment period.

The overall patient incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events (SAEs) was generally balanced between arms. The most frequently reported adverse events (greater than five percent in the romosozumab arm) were nasopharyngitis, back pain, hypertension, headache and constipation. Injection site reactions were reported in 5.5 percent of patients in the romosozumab treatment group and 3.7 percent in the placebo group during the 12-month period. Most injection site reactions were reported as mild in severity. The patient incidence of positively adjudicated cardiovascular (CV) SAEs was 4.9 percent (8/163) in the romosozumab group and 2.5 percent (2/81) in the placebo group. The patient incidence of positively adjudicated cardiovascular death was 0.6 percent (1/163) in the romosozumab group and 1.2 percent (1/81) in the placebo group. Amgen Astellas BioPharma and Astellas recently reported the results of the FRAME study in 7,180 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in which the overall patient incidences of adjudicated CV SAEs were balanced.

Further analysis of the Phase 3 BRIDGE study data is ongoing and will be submitted to a future medical conference and for publication.