PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2006--Higher persistency rates were seen among osteoporosis patients taking FOSAMAX(R) Once Weekly (alendronate) therapies than were seen among patients taking ibandronate once monthly or once weekly risedronate therapies, according to results from two new outcomes studies conducted by Merck & Co., Inc. that compared persistency rates of weekly versus monthly oral bisphosophate dosing frequency. Both studies were based on a review of two prescription drug databases containing prescription records from a total of over 300,000 patients in the U.S. These data were presented yesterday at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone Mineral Research (ASBMR).