Effects of sclerostin antibodies in animal models of osteoporosis

There is an unmet need for therapies that can restore bone strength and reduce fracture risk among patients at high risk of osteoporotic fracture. To address this need, bone-forming therapies that increase osteoblast activity are required to help restore bone structure and strength. Sclerostin is now recognized as a target for osteoporosis therapy. Sclerostin is predominantly secreted by the osteocyte and acts as an extracellular inhibitor of canonical Wnt signaling by binding to the receptors lipoprotein receptor-related protein-4, 5 and 6. Monoclonal antibodies to sclerostin (Scl-Ab) have been used in both clinical and in preclinical studies of osteoporosis with beneficial outcomes for bone density, structure, strength and fracture risk reduction. In this review paper, we summarize the current literature describing the effects of Scl-Ab in animal models of osteoporosis. In addition, we report new pharmacologic data from three animal studies of Scl-Ab: 1) a 12-month study evaluating bone quality in ovariectomized (OVX) rats; 2) a 6-month study evaluating bone structure and strength in adolescent cynomolgus monkeys; and 3) the effects of transition from Scl-Ab to vehicle or the RANKL inhibitor osteoprotegerin-Fc in OVX rats. Together, these results demonstrate that inhibition of sclerostin by Scl-Ab increased bone formation, and decreased bone resorption, leading to improved bone structure, bone mass and bone strength while maintaining bone quality in multiple animal models of osteoporosis. Further, gains in bone mass induced by Scl-Ab treatment were preserved by antiresorptive agents such as a RANKL inhibitor as a follow-on therapy. The bone-forming effects of Scl-Ab were unaffected by pre- or co-treatment with a bisphosphonate, and were restored following a treatment-free period after initial dosing. These data support the clinical development of Scl-Ab for treatment of conditions with low bone mass such as postmenopausal and male osteoporosis.