Romosozumab: A Novel Injectable Sclerostin Inhibitor With Anabolic and Antiresorptive Effects for Osteoporosis

Abstract

Objective: To review the clinical pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of romosozumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody with a novel mechanism of action for monthly injection, and its place in the management of osteoporosis. Data Sources: PubMed, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrials.gov searches (1966 to July 2020) were conducted using the keywords romosozumab and osteoporosis. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Published phase 2 and 3 clinical trials and 2 meta-analyses in patients with osteoporosis were included. Data Synthesis: Romosozumab increased bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (12.1%-13.3%), femoral neck (2.2%-5.9%), and total hip (2.5%-6.9%) in patients with osteoporosis. After 12 months, romosozumab provided greater BMD gains at the lumbar spine and hip than teriparatide. However, teriparatide is likely to further increase BMD if continued for up to 24 months. In postmenopausal women at a high fracture risk, 1 year of romosozumab followed by 1 year of alendronate resulted in lower vertebral, nonvertebral, clinical, and hip fractures than alendronate alone for 2 years. Although absolute event rates were low, serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were numerically higher in 2 clinical trials when compared with alendronate (2.5% vs 1.9%, respectively) and placebo (4.9% vs 2.5%, respectively). Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This review discusses the place in therapy for romosozumab in osteoporosis management as a novel agent. Conclusions: Romosozumab offers an alternative for patients with a high risk of osteoporotic fractures. Clinicians should avoid romosozumab in patients with a history of myocardial infarction or stroke in the past 12 months.