1-Year Results Favor Monthly Ibandronate Dosing Over Daily

First-year data from the 2-year MOBILE study of monthly administration of ibandronate for postmenopausal osteoporosis have been released. All women achieved significant response, but women taking the agent once a month had a greater increase in bone mineral density (BMD) than similar women taking the drug on a daily schedule.

John Sunyecz, from Laurel Highlands Ob/Gyn in Hopwood, PA, revealed the planned responders analysis of the MOBILE study in a poster yesterday. The double-blind multinational study randomized 1,609 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis to three study arms: Ibandronate 150 mg monthly, 100 mg monthly, and 2.5 mg daily. All of the women took the drug with plain water immediately upon rising in the morning and at least 1 hour before food or other medications. Participants also received daily calcium and vitamin D supplements.

After the first year of the study, nearly all of the women in each arm showed increases in lumbar spine BMD. But women on the monthly regimens were significantly more likely to achieve or exceed the study endpoints, greater than 6% increase in lumbar spine BMD or greater than 3% increase in total hip BMD.

Among women taking 150 mg, 35.3% gained at least 6% in lumbar spine BMD, compared with 32.2% of those taking 100 m, and 24.2% of those on the daily dosing schedule. For total hip BMD, 48.4% of women in the 150 mg and 43.4% of women in the 100 mg group showed an increase of more than 3%. Among women in the daily dosing group, 34.9% met the same goal.

Sunyecz J. Better clinical response for once-monthly compared with daily oral ibandronate. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;105(4 suppl):108S.