日本厚生省于2011年1月21日批準(zhǔn)骨質(zhì)疏松癥治療藥物——艾爾骨化醇上市，其有效物質(zhì)艾爾骨化醇是繼阿法骨化醇后又一新的用于治療骨質(zhì)疏松癥的活性維生素D₃衍生物。一項由1 054例骨質(zhì)疏松癥患者參加的歷時3年的III期臨床數(shù)據(jù)顯示，艾爾骨化醇療效優(yōu)于阿法骨化醇，且安全性與阿法骨化醇相似，具有較好的應(yīng)用前景。

After following alfacalcidol, eldecalcitol (brand name Edirol^?), obtained an approval to market in 21th January, 2011 from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of patient with osteoporosis, is a novel active vitamin D₃ derivative. During three years of the phase III study on 1054 patients suffered from osteoporosis, the three-year incidence of bone fractures were observed and the safety of eldecalcitol used for the treatment of those patients with osteoporosis was compared to that of alfacalcidol. The patients who received eldecalcitol had a significantly lower three-year incidence of new vertebral fractures. Overall, the safety profiles of the two agents are similar, which indicates that eldecalcitol is superior to alfacalcidol and has a better prospect in preventing and treating fractures.