etidronate

Etidronate is a first-generation bisphosphonate used primarily to treat Paget's disease of bone, a condition characterized by abnormal bone remodeling that leads to weakened and deformed bones. It is also indicated for the prevention and treatment of heterotopic ossification (abnormal bone growth in soft tissues) following total hip replacement surgery or spinal cord injury, and may be used in the management of hypercalcemia associated with certain cancers[2][3][4][5][7]. Etidronate acts by inhibiting the formation, growth, and dissolution of hydroxyapatite crystals through chemisorption to calcium phosphate surfaces in bone. Its primary mechanism involves inhibition of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption via induction of osteoclast apoptosis—potentially through generation of toxic ATP analogs that disrupt mitochondrial function[4][6][8]. Etidronate is not metabolized; it has low oral bioavailability (~3%), with most unabsorbed drug excreted intact in feces and absorbed drug either excreted renally or incorporated into bone for prolonged periods[4].

Brand names

Didronel

Other names

etidronate disodium1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid