Osteoporosis progresses silently, gradually weakening bones and often going unnoticed until a severe fracture occurs. It mostly affects older individuals, particularly women, and results in millions of fractures globally every year. Existing pharmaceuticals typically take months to begin to work, and they affect the entire skeleton rather than just the affected areas. However, a new French company, Flowbone, has developed an injectable hydrogel that can rapidly strengthen specific bones. This can provide patients with quicker and more targeted treatments than previously available.

The Problems with Existing Osteoporosis Treatments

For many years, treatments for osteoporosis have typically focused on systemic medications that either stimulate bone formation or slow down bone loss. While they do often work, they can take up to a year to increase bone density to any significant degree. This is far too long for older patients who are at risk of falling or fracturing bones. “In the absence of effective preventive measures, around 40% of women aged 50 and over will suffer at least one major osteoporotic fracture; in men, the percentage is around 20%,” said the head of the Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics at EPFL, Dominique Pioletti. These injuries end up being rather serious, with a 20% mortality rate in the year following fractures near the hip or femoral neck.