BoneKEy Reports | BoneKEy Watch
An implantable wirelessly controlled teriparatide delivery device
DOI:10.1038/bonekey.2012.94
Anabolic treatment of osteoporosis using teriparatide, the human parathyroid hormone fragment [(hPTH(1–34)], is effective but requires daily injections, creating a compliance issue. This study demonstrates that hPTH(1–34) can be delivered in an ideal pulsatile pattern using an implanted microchip-controlled, wirelessly operated drug delivery device, the first of its kind ever developed.
The device, loaded with 20 discrete doses of 40 ug of lyophilized hPTH(1–34), was trialed in 8 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The women were treated with daily injections of 20 ug hPTH(1–34) for eight weeks after device implantation, then wireless signals released a daily dose of 40 ug for 20 days. The women were then given daily injections of 40 ug hPTH(1–34) for a further 10 weeks. Dosing provided by the device produced pharmacokinetics similar to dosing by injection, and daily release of hPTH(1–34) from the device boosted bone formation in a comparable manner. No safety issues were noted, and the women reported that the device did not interfere with their everyday activities.
Editor's comment: If the number of reservoirs in this microchip-based drug delivery device can be improved from the current 20, it may become a powerful tool in administration of teriparatide to achieve the desired efficacy without repeated subcutaneous injections. Furthermore, because once-weekly injections of a larger dose of teriparatide also show an anabolic effect on bone, the device could be used to investigate the efficacy of teriparatide delivery at various intervals.
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