Pharmacological Interventions for Osteoporosis

This book provides readers a fundamental insight into the basic properties of the pharmaceutical agents used in the treatment of osteoporosis. It provides insight into mechanisms of action, updated information on clinical utility, and possible side effects associated with the use of these pharmaceutical agents. In particular, it highlights the use of two monoclonal antibodies romosozumab and denosumab in activating osteoblast differentiation and inhibiting osteoclasts. It also discusses two anabolic pharmaceutical agents, teriparatide and abaloparatide to treat osteoporosis. They have been shown to reduce the incidence of non-vertebral and vertebral fractures significantly after they were administered to patients daily as subcutaneous injections. The content of this book caters to researchers, scientists, and clinical practitioners who are interested in the treatment of osteoporosis using pharmaceutical agents.


Andy H. Choi Dr. Andy H. Choi is an early career researcher who received his Ph.D. from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia in 2004 on the use of computer modelling and simulation known as finite element analysis (FEA) to examine the biomechanical behavior of implants installed into a human mandible. After completing his Ph.D., he expanded his research focus from FEA to sol-gel synthesis of multifunctional calcium phosphate nano coatings and nano composite coatings for dental and biomedical applications.

In late 2010, Dr. Choi was successfully awarded the internationally competitive Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowship Award and undertook post-doctoral training at the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong focusing on the application of FEA in dentistry and the development of calcium phosphate nano-bioceramics.

He is currently serving as an associate editor for the Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society and as an editor for a number of dentistry-related journals. In addition, he is also serving as an editorial board member for several dentistry, nanotechnology, and orthopedics journals. To date, Dr. Choi has published over 50 publications including 5 books and 30 book chapters on calcium phosphate, nano-biomaterial coatings, sol-gel technology, marine structures, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and finite element analysis in nanomedicine and dentistry.

Sian Yik Lim Dr. Lim is a rheumatologist at Pali Momi Bone and Joint Center, Hawaii Pacific Health. He currently runs a specialty osteoporosis clinic at Pali Momi Bone and Joint Center and has been involved in efforts to improve the quality of osteoporosis care in Hawaii. He is a clinical densitometrist certified by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. After graduating from Osaka University School of Medicine, he subsequently trained in internal medicine and rheumatology in the United States. He completed his rheumatology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and was a research fellow at Harvard Medical School. He has received the American Federation of Medical Research Resident Research Day Award and Marshal J Schiff, MD Memorial Fellow Research Award for his research. He has published more than 30 papers and abstracts about gout, osteoporosis, and septic arthritis in respected journals such as JAMA, rheumatology, and current opinions in rheumatology.