Male sufferers now have access to osteoporosis drug Actonel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given it's approval for the drug Actonel (risedronate sodium) to be used to treat osteoporosis in men.

Actonel which is a member of the bisphosphonate class of medicines is already widely prescribed for osteoporosis in post-menopausal women; now men too with the bone-thinning condition will be able to access the drug.

Actonel is produced by drug manufacturers, Proctor & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi-Aventis.

The approval was granted following a two-year study of 284 adult males with the soft-bones condition which found significant improvement in lumber spine bone mineral density at 6, 12, and 24 months.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2 million men in the United States suffer from osteoporosis and another 12 million are at risk.

Men as a rule develop osteoporosis later in life than women, and half of all of male osteoporosis cases are associated with aging, while the rest are due to secondary causes such as oral steroid use, low levels of the male hormone testosterone, and heavy alcohol use.

Proctor & Gamble says the possible side effects of Actonel include constipation and back pain.