<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> My husband found this in his investment information. Thought it might help some on list. Bev in Milwaukee MERCK'S DRUG: PROMISE IN TREATING MALE OSTEOPOROSIS; ANALYST UPGRADE NEW YORK, Oct 1 (abridged from Reuters) - Merck & Co. (MRK) said on Friday it will seek approval for its osteoporosis drug Fosamax as a treatment of the disease in men, following positive results of a clinical trial conducted in men with the bone condition. Merck plans to use the Phase V trial results, which it said are encouraging, to file for Fosamax's approval as a male osteoporosis treatment. Merck said there are now no drugs approved in the United States for the treatment of male osteoporosis. Merck said its Phase V study of Fosamax is the first large study it has conducted to test the drug in men since the drug was first approved in 1995 for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Phase V studies are conducted when drug companies seek approval for an existing drug in a new indication. Fosamax, a nonhormonal bone-specific therapy, has also been approved for several other bone-related problems. Osteoporosis, a bone condition in which bones progressively become thinner, primarily affects elderly women. Only one in five people affected with the disease are men. The two-year, placebo-controlled study of Fosamax included 241 men with osteoporosis. All men in the trial were treated daily with calcium and vitamin D supplements and either 10 milligrams of Fosamax or a placebo. The company said patients treated with Fosamax had statistically significant increases in bone mineral density at the spine and hip, and reduced height loss compared with those on placebo. In those taking Fosamax, significant increases in bone mineral density were seen as early as six months, the first measurement point of the study, and increases were seen at all subsequent measurement points during the study. Treatment with Fosamax also appeared to decrease height loss, which is often associated with osteoporotic fractures of the spine. In addition, Merck & Co. (MRK) received an "Outperform" rating from Schroder & Co. during the past week.