Boniva once-monthly dosage gets FDA approval
Boniva (ibandronate) once-monthly oral bisphosphonate for osteoporosis. I have several articles on this Web site concerning IV ibandronate to treat osteoporosis, including a comparison of several studies on that topic. But little has shown up in the literature concerning an oral formulation of this long-acting bisphosphonate until recently. It has now been announced that the FDA has approved Boniva, a once-monthly oral dose of ibandronate, for osteoporosis treatment. Note that ibandronate also can be found with the name of Bonviva, which appears to be the same medication. Whether it will eventually be known with only one proprietary name is uncertain at this time. As can be seen on the GlaxoSmithKline Website previous studies have shown either the 100- or 150-mg once-monthly dose to be equal to the daily 2.5-mg dose. The medication is expected to be available for prescription in April 2005, so keep checking if you feel you would benefit from this more convenient dosing regimen. Boniva will have the same safety precautions as the other bisphosphonates, including staying upright for one hour after taking the medication. This should be less of a problem in that it only involves twelve days a year with that restriction.