[Therapeutic agents for disorders of bone and calcium metabolism--Parathyroid hormone in weekly subcutaneous injection].

The parathyroid hormone (PTH) that is marketed outside Japan is for daily administration. It has been proven to increase bone mass and prevent fractures, and the effects are very strong. However, data suggest that daily administration of PTH increases bone resorption. By contrast, weekly administration of PTH, which is being developed in Japan, actually decreases bone resorption, and data suggest that this regimen maintains a good balance between bone formation (predominant) and bone resorption. Furthermore, it has been reported that weekly administration of PTH increases bone mass as much as every day administration of PTH, and as such, weekly administration of PTH has the potential to be a useful regimen with characteristics that are different from those of daily administration of PTH.