Denosumab (DNS)

Denosumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of osteoporosis, treatment-induced bone loss, bone metastases, multiple myeloma, and giant cell tumor of bone. It was developed by the biotechnology company Amgen. Denosumab is designed to inhibit RANKL (RANK ligand), a protein that acts as the primary signal for bone removal. In many bone loss conditions, RANKL overwhelms the body's natural defenses against bone destruction. Bone remodeling is the process by which the body continuously removes old bone tissue and replaces it with new bone. It is driven by various types of cells, most notably osteoblasts (which secrete new bone) and osteoclasts (which break down bone). The role of osteocytes is still not well understood. Precursors to osteoclasts, called "pre-osteoclasts", express surface receptors called RANK – short for receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B.