Teriparatide
Reviewed
Short answer
An established osteoporosis medicine that can reduce fracture risk in defined groups. Its evidence does not apply to every fracture-healing claim. FDA-approved products exist for specific osteoporosis populations.
The Peptide Field explains research. Its pages are not independently medically reviewed, and they do not diagnose, prescribe, or recommend treatment.
Read the study findingsAlso known as Forteo · PTH 1-34 · recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1-34
Part of Bone peptide medicines
Compared with Abaloparatide
Legal status Is Teriparatide legal? See the status table
Study and product details
What it is
Teriparatide is a 34-amino-acid piece of human parathyroid hormone. It is used as a prescription medicine to help build bone in osteoporosis.
Type of peptide: Parathyroid hormone analogue. This describes what the substance is or how it works. It does not show that it is safe, effective, or approved.
What has been studied?
- Strong: Several reliable sources describe this clearly.
Randomized evidence supports vertebral and nonvertebral fracture-risk reduction in defined osteoporosis populations.
Bone-turnover, exposure, and product-specific pharmacology are well characterized.
Labels describe hypercalcemia, orthostatic hypotension, osteosarcoma risk factors, and other precautions.
High for authentic approved products used within the label.
Products with the same ingredient can differ.
The ingredient name does not tell you everything about a product. Check its other ingredients, its form, how it enters the body, and the use and people covered by the research or approval.
Forteo
2024 label- Ingredients and form
- Prefilled delivery device
- How it enters the body
- Under the skin (subcutaneous)
- Use and people covered
- Osteoporosis uses in the high-fracture-risk populations defined in the product label.
- Forteo
- approved teriparatide products
- Osteoporosis treatment in labeled high-fracture-risk populations
What studies found
Controlled trials and approved labeling support fewer spine and non-spine fractures in defined osteoporosis groups at high fracture risk.
This evidence does not prove faster healing for every new fracture, universal benefit in athletes, or safety outside monitored prescription use.
Which products do these findings apply to?
The evidence applies to specific approved products and groups of people. Teriparatide evidence concerns approved drug products and labeled osteoporosis populations, not every product called PTH 1-34 or every type of fracture.
Side effects in the Forteo label
Forteo is the brand name of teriparatide. Its FDA label lists the side effects seen in two placebo-controlled osteoporosis trials, one in women and one in men. The label names joint pain, pain, and nausea as the most common.
Many of these problems were almost as common on placebo. The label lists them without saying that Forteo caused them.
Serious problems were reported in 16% of people on Forteo and 19% on placebo. 7% of people on Forteo and 6% on placebo stopped early because of side effects.
Each number is the share of people in a group who reported the problem during the trials. The label lists problems reported by at least 2% of people on Forteo and more often than on placebo. The first table shows those at 5% or more. Placebo means a shot with no medicine in it.
Trials in the FDA label
Women and men with osteoporosis 11 months (men), 19 months (women)
1,382 adults aged 28 to 86. 691 got Forteo and 691 got placebo. Everyone also took calcium and vitamin D. The middle trial length was 11 months for men and 19 months for women.
| Reported problem | Forteo | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | 21.3% | 20.5% |
| Joint pain (arthralgia) | 10.1% | 8.4% |
| Runny or stuffy nose (rhinitis) | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Weakness (asthenia) | 8.7% | 6.8% |
| Nausea | 8.5% | 6.7% |
| Dizziness | 8.0% | 5.4% |
| Headache | 7.5% | 7.4% |
| High blood pressure (hypertension) | 7.1% | 6.8% |
| More coughing | 6.4% | 5.5% |
| Sore throat (pharyngitis) | 5.5% | 4.8% |
| Constipation | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Upset stomach (dyspepsia) | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| Diarrhea | 5.1% | 4.6% |
Source for Women and men with osteoporosis: Forteo prescribing information on DailyMed , label revised .
14 less common problems in the label table
Problems reported in 2% to under 5%
Women and men with osteoporosis, less common problems 11 months (men), 19 months (women)
The same two trials and the same 1,382 adults as the table above.
| Reported problem | Forteo | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Skin rash | 4.9% | 4.5% |
| Trouble sleeping (insomnia) | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Depression | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| Pneumonia | 3.9% | 3.3% |
| Spinning feeling (vertigo) | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Shortness of breath (dyspnea) | 3.6% | 2.6% |
| Neck pain | 3.0% | 2.7% |
| Vomiting | 3.0% | 2.3% |
| Fainting (syncope) | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| Leg cramps | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Chest pain from the heart (angina) | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Stomach or bowel problem | 2.3% | 2.0% |
| Sweating | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Tooth problem | 2.0% | 1.3% |
Source for Women and men with osteoporosis, less common problems: Forteo prescribing information on DailyMed , label revised .
Calcium in the blood
Forteo raises blood calcium for a few hours after a shot. In the trials, some people had a high reading 4 to 6 hours after a shot at least once. This happened in 11% of women and 6% of men on Forteo. On placebo, it was 2% of women and 0% of men.
Calcium measured at least 16 hours after a shot was not different from before treatment.
Dizziness when standing up
The label says blood pressure may drop for a short time when a person stands up, at the start of treatment. This can cause dizziness.
What these numbers do not show
- The label also lists warnings, including a bone cancer called osteosarcoma that was seen in rats given teriparatide. The label says it has been reported in people taking Forteo, but observational studies have not shown a higher risk. Read the full label for all warnings.
- The label says side-effect rates from one medicine's trials cannot be directly compared with rates from another medicine's trials.
- Trials can miss rare harms and harms that take years to appear.
- The product details above may cite an older Forteo label. These tables use the current label on DailyMed.
- These numbers describe Forteo in its trials. They do not describe other products sold under the name teriparatide or PTH 1-34.
Report a side effect
You can report a suspected side effect to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or through FDA MedWatch . If a reaction feels serious, get medical care first.
Label checked .
Compare two labels
- Forteo vs Tymlos: side effects in the osteoporosis labels
Fact checks
3 statements checked. Read what the results mean.
“Teriparatide reduces fracture risk in defined osteoporosis populations.”
The pivotal evidence and label support vertebral and nonvertebral fracture-risk reduction in studied high-risk populations.
- What this answer is based on
- Health results from a study with randomly assigned groups
- Limits of this answer
- Labeled osteoporosis populations at high fracture risk.
Sources for this fact check (2)
“Teriparatide is proven to heal every fracture faster.”
Fracture prevention and acute fracture healing are different endpoints, and trial results vary by fracture setting.
- What this answer is based on
- Health results from a study with randomly assigned groups
- Limits of this answer
- Acute fracture-healing outcomes across all fracture types.
Sources for this fact check (1)
“Because teriparatide is a peptide, it has no serious risks.”
The current label includes clinically important warnings, precautions, and population restrictions.
- What this answer is based on
- Official record or product label
- Limits of this answer
- Approved teriparatide product use.
Sources for this fact check (1)
Questions people ask about Teriparatide
The Forteo label names joint pain, pain, and nausea as the most common side effects. In its two main trials, joint pain was reported by 10.1% of people on Forteo and 8.4% on placebo. Nausea was reported by 8.5% and 6.7%. Many problems were almost as common on placebo. The label also says Forteo raises blood calcium for a few hours after a shot.
Risks and safety limits
The label has important limits on duration, risk factors, calcium, and monitoring. No dose, injection, or off-label fracture-healing instructions are provided.
This editorial review did not determine sport eligibility. Athletes must check the current prohibited list, Global DRO, and their governing body.
Reviewed .Check the rules for athletes ↗Terms used in the studies
- randomized
- assigned to study groups by chance
- outcome
- what the study measured
- peptide
- a short chain of amino acids
- analog
- a changed version made to act like another substance
- amino acid
- a small building block that makes peptides and proteins
Read the sources
Show 3 sources
Review history
Initial brief based on the current Forteo label and fracture-prevention trial record.
Not independently medically reviewed. This page is not a dosing, sourcing, or treatment guide.
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