4-Week Study to Assess the Effect of Alendronate and Vitamin D3 Once Weekly on Fractional Calcium Absorption in Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Women (0217A-230)

Inclusion Criteria:

• The patient is a postmenopausal osteoporotic female
• The patient is willing to limit direct sunlight exposure during the course of the study
• The patient must be ambulatory
• The patient has serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D =25 ng/mL

Exclusion Criteria:

• The patient is contraindicated to bisphosphonate therapy
• The patient has a vitamin D deficiency
• Patient will be excluded if their weight is above 85 kg
• The patient has a history of prior osteoporotic fracture
• The patient is currently or has received in the past treatment with effects on bone or calcium metabolism
• The patient has malabsorption syndrome
• The patient has active thyroid disease
• The patient has metabolic bone disease
• The patient had a myocardial infarction within 6 months of screening visit
• The patient has impaired renal function
• The patient is currently or has been a smoker in the last year