Two medicines, side by side
Alendronate vs atenolol
Alendronate is labeled for osteoporosis; atenolol for high blood pressure, angina and heart attack and coronary artery disease. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of alendronate since 1995 and of atenolol since 1981. Pharmacies paid $0.256 per alendronate sodium 70 mg tablet and $0.0217 per atenolol 25 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, alendronate is a bisphosphonate and atenolol a beta-adrenergic blocker.
Check it at the source: the alendronate FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 12, 2026); the atenolol FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 18, 2025).
Highlights of the alendronate record
Alendronate (Fosamax) · label of March 12, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsFOSAMAX is a bisphosphonate indicated for: Treatment and prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women ( 1.1 , 1.2 ) Treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis ( 1.3 ) Treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis ( 1.4 ) Treatment of Paget's disease of bone ( 1.5 ) Limitations of use: Optimal duration of use has not been determined. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 29, 1995
- Generic labelers
- 16 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.256 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Highlights of the atenolol record
Atenolol (Tenormin) · label of September 18, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsHypertension TENORMIN is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes including atenolol. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 19, 1981
- Generic labelers
- 35 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0217 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 4
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Alendronate label of March 12, 2026, Atenolol label of September 18, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do alendronate and atenolol differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, alendronate is a bisphosphonate and atenolol a beta-adrenergic blocker.
Generics: alendronate since 2008; atenolol since 1988 (Drugs@FDA).
| Alendronate | Atenolol | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoporosis | High blood pressure, Angina, Heart attack and coronary artery disease |
| Pharmacologic class | Bisphosphonate | beta-Adrenergic Blocker |
| How it works (label) | Animal studies have indicated the following mode of action. At the cellular level, alendronate shows preferential localization to sites of bone resorption, specifically under osteoclasts. | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | The elimination half-life of oral TENORMIN is approximately 6 to 7 hours, and there is no alteration of the kinetic profile of the drug by chronic administration. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 29, 1995 | August 19, 1981 |
| First generic approved | February 6, 2008 | July 15, 1988 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 16 labelers | 35 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.256 per tablet (Alendronate sodium 70 mg tablet) | $0.0217 per tablet (Atenolol 25 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -2% | -3% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 4 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 100,325 | 132,491 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to alendronate
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions