Effects of once-monthly minodronate versus risedronate in osteoporosis patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a 12-month randomized head-to-head comparison

Summary A head-to-head comparison of once-monthly oral bisphosphonates minodronate (MIN) and risedronate (RIS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) demonstrated that MIN has the same effect as RIS on increase in bone mineral density (BMD) and a stronger effect on inhibition of bone resorption than RIS, suggesting that MIN is a promising treatment option for osteoporosis patients with RA. Introduction To evaluate the effect of once-monthly oral MIN in patients with RA, a prospective, randomized, open-label, head-to-head comparison with once-monthly oral RIS was conducted. Methods A total of 83 patients with RA were randomly assigned to either once-monthly oral MIN 50 mg ( n = 42) or once-monthly oral RIS 75 mg ( n = 41). Serial BMD and bone turnover markers were measured and compared between the treatment groups. Results BMD (lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck) increased significantly after 12 months of treatment with MIN (3.8, 2.0, and 2.2%, respectively, P