Novel methods for the medical treatment and/or inhibition of the
development of osteoporosis, breast cancer, hypercholesterolemia,
hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis in susceptible warm-blooded animals
including humans involving administration of selective estrogen receptor
modulator particularly compounds having the general structure: 1
and an amount of a sex steroid precursor selected from the group
consisting of dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,
androst-5-ene-3.beta.,17.beta.-diol and compounds converted in vivo to
one of the foregoing presursor. Further administration of bisphosphonates
in combination with selective estrogen receptor modulators and/or sex
steroid precursor is disclosed for the medical treatment and/or
inhibition of the development of osteoporosis. Pharmaceutical
compositions for delivery of active ingredient(s) and kit(s) useful to
the invention are also disclosed.
