bisphosphonates

Pl. n. a class of drugs that inhibit the resorption of bone by blocking the action of OSTEOCLAST . This property makes them useful for treating certain bone disorders, such as Paget's disease and osteoporosis, as well as malignant disease - especially in terms of pain relief but also in the treatment of hypercalcaemia due to cancer. Bisphosphonates include ETIDRONATE , pamidronate (Aredia), alendronate (Fosamax), and clodronate