Victims of the chronic and debilitating bone disease, osteoporosis, were given fresh hope in November after the launch of a new drug which actually builds new bone.

Osteoporosis is a progressive systemic skeletal disease characterised by a low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue resulting in an increased susceptibility to fractures. The condition is the cause of thousands of broken bones every year, and is estimated to cost the NHS approximately £1 billion per annum.

Whereas current therapies work by slowing bone loss, the new drug, Forsteo (teriparatide), works by increasing the number and activity of bone forming cells ? the osteoblasts ? so that new bone is formed.

Lilly, the company which developed the drug, says that a "90 per cent reduction in the risk of a moderate or severe spinal fracture has been seen" in patients treated with the drug.

The drug is administered daily via self-injection with a special pre-filled pen. Although the drug has a few mild side-effects, such as nausea and dizziness, these can apparently be avoided by taking it before going to bed.

Although it is estimated that one in 10 men and one in three women will develop osteoporosis at some point in their lives, Forsteo is currently only licensed for use in women.

* Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is no longer recommended as the first choice of therapy for prevention of osteoporosis, according to advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The advice was issued following a European-wide review into the balance of risks and benefits of HRT.