About 10 million people in the United States suffer from osteoporosis, a disease that causes weak and brittle bones — and more than four out of five of them are women. About half of all women over 50 with osteoporosis suffer a bone fracture due to the disease.
A type of medication called biologics, which are made from living cells and other organisms, can help treat or even prevent osteoporosis. However, their high cost may put them out of reach for some women.
This is where biosimilars come into play, which are cheaper alternatives to biologics that work in the same way. By improving access to osteoporosis treatment, biosimilars could provide a potential solution to this common health problem.
Read: Biosimilars 101 >>
Understanding osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is sometimes called a “silent disease” because people often don’t realize they have it until they break a bone. A person can go from osteopenia (some bone loss) to osteoporosis (severe bone loss) without ever having a single symptom.
Even after a bone fracture, osteoporosis may be overlooked by patients and their healthcare providers.
“We have a major undertreatment problem with osteoporosis,” said Mary Bouxsein, Ph.D., a professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School whose research focuses on bone health. “Less than 30% of women with a hip fracture are evaluated and treated for osteoporosis in the six months following the fracture.”
The risk of osteoporosis tends to increase during menopause because the loss of protective estrogen accelerates bone loss during this time. But this loss can actually begin in our 30s, well before menopause.
The higher your bone density during menopause, the lower your risk of developing osteoporosis. So taking steps early to proactively support your bones—including exercise, getting enough calcium, and starting treatments like biosimilars—can help prevent osteoporosis later.
Your annual visit to your gynecologist or other HCP is a good time to discuss bone health, as they can provide advice and refer you to a specialist if necessary.
“Knowledge is power, so knowing your bone health from the start gives you an advantage,” Bouxsein said. “The most important thing you can do is talk to your doctor about your bone health and get a bone density test.”
Effects of osteoporosis
In addition to the pain and disruption that fractures cause in the short term, fractures caused by osteoporosis can have lasting consequences on a person’s overall health and quality of life.
One in four people who break a hip are unable to live independently and have to live in a care facility. And people with lower bone density are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
Osteoporosis also affects mental health. In fact, a study of more than 11,000 people with osteoporosis found that people without the bone disease were almost twice as likely to develop depression.
Women who are also caregivers may be particularly vulnerable to the health challenges of osteoporosis because they are often so focused on caring for others that they neglect their own health.
When we look at the broader impact of osteoporosis, we see that the disease places a heavy burden on the economy. In the United States, osteoporosis causes 2 million bone fractures each year—and $19 billion in associated costs. A 2019 report from the National Osteoporosis Foundation found that osteoporosis-related bone fractures were responsible for more hospitalizations than heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer combined.
Why biosimilars are important against osteoporosis
Biosimilars can enable people to afford treatments that would otherwise be out of reach. According to the Association for Accessible Medicines, patients and the healthcare system have saved nearly $36 billion since the first biosimilar was available in 2015. And these savings have led to expanded treatment options for many diseases.
Introducing biosimilars into clinical practice could save the U.S. healthcare system $54 billion by 2026, according to a study.
Recognizing the potential of these drugs to help people around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends several biosimilars as safe and affordable alternatives to biologics. By reducing financial barriers, biosimilars can help women around the world – including those who are underserved – get the medicines they need.
Because of biosimilars, a woman suffering from bone loss may be better able to afford medications that prevent the problem from getting worse, and a woman who already has osteoporosis may have access to more treatments.
“There is a large market that is not yet tapped and many patients who are not being treated,” Bouxsein said. “So I think there’s tremendous potential for affordability and greater access.”
Make bone health a priority
It’s never too early (or too late!) to start taking good care of your bones. “I think there’s a misinformation that once you have a fracture it’s too late, and that’s absolutely not true,” Bouxsein said. “All of our clinical trials included patients with fractures and were still able to prevent subsequent fractures, so it’s never too late to consider treatment to improve bone health.”
In addition to sticking to good habits like regular exercise and eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, you can proactively protect yourself from osteoporosis by asking your doctor whether medications like biosimilars might be a helpful addition to your bone health plan.
As a caregiver, you can support your loved one’s bone health by advocating for them and providing them with access to regular checkups, consistent care, and affordable treatment options.
Osteoporosis shouldn’t be taken lightly – especially in women over 50 – but it’s not a given that you’ll get it. “Osteoporosis is highly preventable and treatable,” Bouxsein said. By prioritizing bone health before weakness becomes a problem (and in this case, using medications like biosimilars), you can reduce your risk.
This educational resource was created with support from Organon, a member of the HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Council.
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