Zoledronate (INN: zoledronic acid, marketed by Novartis under the trade names Zometa? and Aclasta?) and is a bisphosphonate. Aclasta is a single 5 mg infusion used for the treatment of Paget's disease of the bone and is being studied for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Bisphosphonates are well established as the standard of care for metabolic bone diseases such as Paget?s disease. As a bisphosphonate Aclasta works by preventing the bone from further breakdown or damage while restoring the balance between bone resorption and formation. Aclasta is also unique in that after a single infusion, it provides lasting therapeutic effects for 12 months or longer in most patients. Aclasta quickly and effectively restores normal bone turnover in patients with Paget?s disease.

Aclasta demonstrates superior long-term efficacy to risedronate in Paget's disease. New data shows Aclasta to be more rapidly acting and preferred by patients versus the standard osteoporosis therapy. Some more new data demonstrating the superiority of Aclasta? over daily risedronate for up to two years in Paget's disease have been presented at ECCEO

A single 5 mg dose of Aclasta demonstrated a faster onset of action with significantly more patients having a sustained therapeutic response for up to 2 years compared to risedronate that had been taken daily for 2 months.1

Paget's disease is the second most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis, affects up to 10% of the elderly population in Europe. It is a chronic skeletal disorder that may result in bone pain, deformities, and fractures that can impede a patient's ability to stand or move.