Publisher's Synopsis
The bisphosphonates are a new class of drug which have been developed in the past three decades for use in various diseases of bone and calcium metabolism. Six are commercially available today. Those available, as well as the indications for which they are registered, vary from country to country. A substantial number is under pre-clinical or clinical development, so that in the near future specialists and practitioners will have the opportunity to choose the most suitable drug and the best regimen to treat an individual patient.;Information for the doctor is available today in original articles, in a few reviews and in the documentation distributed by the companies selling the various compounds. This volume enables practising doctors to quickly find the necessary information on all bisphosphonates available.;The book starts with a chapter reviewing the physiology of bone. It then covers, in the preclinical section, the chemistry, mechanisms of action and animal toxicology of these compounds. In the clinical section, before addressing the use of bisphophonates, the diseases treated by these compounds are briefly discussed with respect to their pathophysiology, clinical picture and treatment with other drugs. Following a chapter on adverse events, the book ends with a table containing the trade names of the commercially available bisphosphonates, the registered indications and the available forms for each country.
