Osteoporosis occurs when there is an imbalance between resorption and formation of bone, with resorption predominating. Inhibitors of cathepsin K may rebalance this condition. This is the first efficacy study of a new cathepsin K inhibitor, ONO-5334. The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of ONO-5334 in postmenopausal osteoporosis. This was a 12-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-and active-controlled parallel-group study conducted in 13 centers in 6 European countries. Subjects included 285 postmenopausal women aged 55 to 75 years with osteoporosis. Subjects were randomized into one of five treatment arms: placebo; 50 mg twice daily, 100 mg once daily, or 300 mg once daily of ONO-5334; or alendronate 70 mg once weekly. Lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck BMD values were obtained along with biochemical markers of bone turnover and standard safety assessments. All ONO-5334 doses and alendronate showed a significant increase in BMD for lumbar spine, total hip (except 100 mg once daily), and femoral neck BMD. There was little or no suppression of ONO-5334 on bone-formation markers compared with alendronate, although the suppressive effects on bone-resorption markers were similar. There were no clinically relevant safety concerns. With a significant increase in BMD, ONO-5334 also demonstrated a new mode of action as a potential agent for treating osteoporosis. Further clinical studies are warranted to investigate long-term efficacy as well as safety of

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Cathepsin K inhibitors, such as ONO-5334, are being developed for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, their relative effects on bone resorption and formation, and how quickly the effects resolve after treatment cessation, are uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of 24-month treatment with ONO-5334 and to assess the effect of treatment cessation over 2 months. We studied 197 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia with one fragility fracture. Patients were randomized to ONO-5334 50 mg twice daily, 100 mg or 300 mg once daily, alendronate 70 mg once weekly (positive control), or placebo for 24 months. After 24 months, all ONO-5334 doses were associated with increased bone mineral density (BMD) for lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck (p < 0.001). ONO-5334 300 mg significantly suppressed the bone-resorption markers urinary (u) NTX and serum and uCTX-I throughout 24 months of treatment and to a similar extent as alendronate; other resorption marker levels remained similar to placebo (fDPD for ONO-5334 300 mg qd) or were increased (ICTP, TRAP5b, all ONO-5334 doses). Levels of B-ALP and PINP were suppressed in all groups (including placebo) for approximately 6 months but then increased for ONO-5334 to close to baseline levels by 12 to 24 months. On treatment cessation, there were increases above baseline in uCTX-I, uNTX, and TRAP5b, and decreases in ICTP and fDPD. There were no clinically relevant safety concerns. Cathepsin K inhibition with ONO-5334 resulted in decreases in most resorption markers over 2 years but did not decrease most bone formation markers. This was associated with an increase in BMD; the effect on biochemical markers was rapidly reversible on treatment cessation.

Selective inhibitors of cathepsin K, which has a major role in the degradation of bone collagen, are potential new treatments for osteoporosis. The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamic effects on biochemical markers of bone turnover of the new cathepsin K inhibitor, ONO-5334, were investigated in a multiple ascending dose, phase 1 study. A total of 120 healthy postmenopausal women were enrolled, and doses of 10 to 600 mg once daily and 50 and 300 mg twice daily were evaluated in 15- and 28-day multiple-dosing cohorts. Plasma ONO-5334 concentration reached steady state within 2 days. Twenty-four hours after the last dose in the 15-day multiple-dose cohort, 100, 300, and 600 mg once daily reduced urinary C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen by a mean (± standard deviation) 44.9% ± 13.6%, 84.5% ± 4.4%, and 92.5% ± 1.3%, respectively. The 28-day cohort showed similar effects. There were far smaller effects on bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP5b), or osteocalcin (OC) (measured after 28 days). ONO-5334 was well tolerated up to 600 mg/d and for up to 28 days of multiple dosing. Multiple dosing with ONO-5334 100 mg resulted in considerable suppression of bone resorption markers with no appreciable effects on bone formation markers (B-ALP, OC) or osteoclast number (TRAP5b).

ONO-5334 (Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan) inhibits cathepsin K and has been shown to increase areal bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip and spine in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) allows the study of the cortical and trabecular bone separately and provides structural information such as cortical thickness. We investigated the impact of 2 years of cathepsin K inhibition on these different bone compartments with ONO-5334. The clinical study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo, and active controlled parallel group study conducted in 13 centers in six European countries. The original study period of 12 months was extended by another 12 months. A total of 147 subjects (age 55-75 years) of the QCT substudy who participated in the extension period were included. Subjects had been randomized into one of five treatment arms: placebo; ONO-5334 50 mg twice per day (BID); ONO-5334 100 mg once daily (QD); ONO-5334 300 mg QD; or alendronate 70 mg once weekly (QW). QCT was obtained to evaluate bone structure at the lumbar spine and proximal femur. After 24 months ONO-5334 showed statistically significant increases versus placebo for integral, trabecular, and cortical BMD at the spine and the hip (for ONO-5334 300 mg QD, BMD increases were 10.5%, 7.1%, and 13.4% for integral, cortical, and trabecular BMD at the spine, respectively, and 6.2%, 3.4%, and 14.6% for integral, cortical, and trabecular total femur BMD, respectively). Changes in cortical and trabecular BMD in the spine and hip were similar for alendronate as for ONO-5334. Integral volume did not demonstrate statistically significant changes under ONO-5334 treatment, thus there was no evidence of periosteal apposition, neither at the spine nor at the femur. Cortical thickness changes were not statistically significant for ONO-5334 in the spine and hip, with exception of a 2.1% increase after month 24 in the intertrochanter for ONO-5334 300 mg QD. Over 2 years ONO-5334 showed a statistically significant and persistent increase of trabecular and integral BMD at the spine and the hip. Cortical BMD also progressively increased but at a lower rate. Changes in bone size and of periosteal apposition were not observed.