Theramex Treatment for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women Accepted by Scottish Medicines Consortium

Author(s):

The company estimated that more than 1000 women in Scotland at very high risk of fracture would be eligible for treatment.

Bone structure 3d illustration, normal and with osteoporosis | Image Credit: © adimas - stock.adobe.com

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), through the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland, has recommended abaloparatide, which is marketed by London-based Theramex as Eladynos, for treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who are at very high risk of fracture (1). Theramex and SMC both made the announcement on July 7, 2025, with SMC additionally publishing advice on seven other medicines (1,2).

Jarring statistics for impacted women

Key Takeaways

SMC has recommended Theramex’s Eladynos (abaloparatide) for postmenopausal women in Scotland at high risk of fractures, expanding UK-wide access.
With hip fractures costing the NHS £2 billion (US$2.7 billion) annually, broader use of osteoporosis treatments like abaloparatide may help reduce long-term healthcare costs.
SMC also approved bevacizumab gamma, osimertinib, pembrolizumab, and selpercatinib for various cancers, while declining three other high-profile therapies.

In a press release, Theramex estimated that more than 1000 postmenopausal women in Scotland would be eligible for treatment, with SMC’s recommendation following a previous one made in August 2024 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) governing abaloparatide’s status in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (1). Theramex said it is estimated that half of all women over 50 will experience fragility fractures, which are made more likely by osteoporosis, with hip fractures accountable for approximately 50% of fracture-related deaths in women.

One-quarter of patients who suffer a hip fracture die within one year, Theramex said, with hip fractures costing NHS £2 billion (US$2.7 billion) per year and osteoporotic fractures presently accounting for more than £4.6 billion (US$6.3 billion) of direct costs to NHS, forecast to increase to £6 billion (US$8.2 billion) by 2030 (1).

“With women at a five times greater risk of osteoporosis than men, I am thrilled that we are able to expand access further across the [United Kingdom] and bring this treatment to women in Scotland,” Tina Backhouse, UK general manager at Theramex, said in the release (1). “This approval not only ensures women in Scotland have access to a diversity of treatment options but also reinforces our ongoing efforts to collaborate with healthcare providers and policymakers to eliminate disparities in osteoporosis care across the UK.”

SMC approvals, disapprovals cover wide range

Other positive opinions published by SMC in its July 7 release included the following:

Bevacizumab gamma (Lytenava, Outlook Therapeutics) was accepted for treatment of adults with wet age-related macular degeneration.
Osimertinib (Tagrisso, AstraZeneca) was accepted, together with chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in which the cancer cells have mutations in exon 19 or exon 21 of the EGFR gene.
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck—known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) was accepted, together with chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of adults with newly diagnosed or recurrent advanced endometrial cancer.
Selpercatinib (Retsevmo, Eli Lilly and Company), was accepted for treatment of patients aged 12 and older with advanced thyroid cancer caused by mutations in the RET gene (2).

Conversely, SMC declined to recommend the following medicines:

Amivantamab (Rybrevant, Johnson & Johnson), together with chemotherapy, was not recommended for treatment of adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in which cancer cells have mutations in exon 20 of the EGFR gene.
Fezolinetant (Veoza, Astellas) was not recommended for treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms caused by menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats.
Lecanemab (Leqembi, Eisai/Biogen) was not recommended for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in adults who carry one or no copies of the ApoE4 gene (2).

Previously in 2025, NICE gave a positive opinion in January to AstraZeneca’s osimertinib treatment for treatment of lung cancer patients in England and Wales; in February, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use upheld its original decision on an indication extension for Merck’s pembrolizumab, and said the marketing authorization for Eisai and Biogen’s lecanemab did not need to be updated (3,4).

References

1. Theramex. SMC Recommends Eladynos (abaloparatide) for Treating Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women. Press Release. July 7, 2025.
2. Scottish Medicines Consortium. July 2025 Decisions News Release. Press Release. July 7, 2025.
3. AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca Receives Two Positive NICE Recommendations for Lung Cancer Patients Across England and Wales. Press Release. Jan. 22, 2025.
4. EMA. Meeting Highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 24–27 February 2025. Press Release. Feb. 28, 2025.

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