Effects of Denosumab on Bone Mineral Density in Women With Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

October 14, 2025 updated by: Karen Klahr Miller, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Effects of Denosumab on Bone Mineral Density, Markers of Bone Metabolism and Bone Microarchitecture in Women With Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

This protocol is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial which aims to investigate the effect of denosumab on BMD in women with anorexia nervosa. The investigators hypothesize that 12 months of denosumab administration will result in an increase in bone mineral density, decrease in markers of bone resorption and improvement in bone microarchitecture in osteopenic women with anorexia nervosa compared with placebo.

An optional extension study will offer subjects 12-month administration of open-label alendronate (an oral bisphosphonate) after the initial 12 month administration of denosumab or placebo. We hypothesize that 12 months of denosumab followed by 12 months of open-label alendronate will result in a greater increase in BMD compared to 12 months of placebo followed by 12 months of open-label alendronate. Within the group of women who receive sequential therapy with 12 months of denosumab followed by 12 months of alendronate, we hypothesize that BMD will be maintained between 12 and 24 months while on alendronate.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

16 years to 56 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female
  • Age 20-60 years, skeletally mature with closed epiphyses
  • Anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa defined by DSM-V diagnostic criteria
  • BMD T-score < -1.0
  • Normal serum 25-OH vitamin D (>30 ng/mL) and calcium levels

  • For women of reproductive age, agree to use an effective contraceptive method. Highly effective methods of birth control include:

    • Combined (estrogen and progestogen) hormonal methods (pills, vaginal ring, or skin patch)
    • Intrauterine device (IUD)
    • Intraduterine hormonal-releasing system (IUS)
    • Surgery to tie both fallopian tubes (bilateral tubal ligation/occlusion)
    • Your male partner has had a vasectomy and testing shows there is no sperm in the semen
  • Dental check up within the past year

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any disease known to affect bone, including untreated thyroid dysfunction, Cushing's or renal failure
  • Subjects with a known esophageal disease cannot participate in the alendronate extension study
  • Any medication known to affect bone metabolism within 3 months of the study, excluding oral contraceptives or other forms of estrogen administration. Bisphosphonates must have been discontinued for at least one year before participation
  • Immunodeficiency or taking immunosuppressive therapy
  • Serum potassium <3.0 meq/L
  • Serum ALT >3 times upper limit of normal
  • eGFR of less than 30 ml/min
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Active substance abuse, including alcohol
  • History of malignancy
  • Paget disease of bone
  • Osteomalacia
  • Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) or risk factor for ONJ, such as invasive dental procedures (eg, tooth extraction, dental implants, oral surgery in the past 6 months), poor oral hygiene, periodontal and/or pre-existing dental disease, and current use of corticosteroids.
  • Planned invasive dental procedure over the next 24 months.
  • Known senstivity to any of the products or components to be administered during dosing or known sensitivity to mammalian cell derived drug products
  • Sensitivity to calcium or vitamin D supplements
  • Pregnant, planning to become pregnant with 7 months after the end of treatment and/or breastfeeding

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Active Denosumab 60mg Injection
Denosumab 60mg injection at baseline study visit and 6 month study visit. Alendronate 70mg PO weekly starting at Month 12 through 24 months.
Drug: Denosumab 60 MG [Prolia]
Denosumab 60mg injection at baseline and 6 months
Drug: Alendronate 70Mg Tab
Alendronate 70mg PO weekly starting at Month 12 through 24 months.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo injection at baseline study visit and 6 month study visit. Alendronate 70mg PO weekly starting at Month 12 through 24 months.
Drug: Alendronate 70Mg Tab
Alendronate 70mg PO weekly starting at Month 12 through 24 months.
Drug: Placebo Injection
Placebo Injection at baseline and 6 months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postero-anterior (PA) Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
Time Frame: 12 months (Period 1)
Postero-anterior (PA) lumbar spine bone mineral density was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The DXA scanner used was a Hologic Horizon A (Hologic, Inc., Waltham, MA).
12 months (Period 1)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Percent Change Postero-anterior (PA) Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density by DXA
Time Frame: Baseline to 24 months
Baseline to 24 months
Percent Change Postero-anterior (PA) Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density by DXA
Time Frame: 12 months to 24 months (Period 2)
12 months to 24 months (Period 2)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Amgen

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Karen K Miller, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 25, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 22, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 22, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 21, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 21, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 25, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 4, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 14, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2017P000529

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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