Postmenopausal women at increased risk of osteoporotic fractures should be treated with newly-licensed injectable drug denosumab, if treatment with existing oral bisphosphonates is unsuitable.

Some women are unable to comply with the special instructions of administering oral bisphosphonates, which includes drug intolerance, presence of contraindications or inability to abide by administration.

For these women, denosumab should be an option if they are at increased risk of fractures, said NICE in its draft guidance.

NICE's appraisal committee said there was good quality evidence that denosumab would be a useful addition to treatment options available to GPs to prevent a fractures in women.

Dr Carole Longson, health technology evaluation centre director, said: ‘We hope that older women at increased risk of osteoporotic fractures who cannot take oral bisphosphonates will be considered for this drug in order to help prevent the misery of breaking a bone, and we are now opening a consultation on this preliminary decision.'

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