Two medicines, side by side
Alendronate vs benralizumab
Alendronate is labeled for osteoporosis; benralizumab for asthma. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of alendronate since 1995 and of benralizumab since 2017. In FDA's classes, alendronate is a bisphosphonate and benralizumab an interleukin-5 receptor alpha-directed cytolytic antibody.
Check it at the source: the alendronate FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 12, 2026); the benralizumab FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 13, 2026).
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 benralizumab record
Benralizumab (Fasenra) · label of May 13, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsFASENRA is an interleukin-5 receptor alpha-directed cytolytic monoclonal antibody (IgG1, kappa) indicated for: • add-on maintenance treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with severe asthma, and with an eosinophilic phenotype. ( 1.1 ) • treatment of adult patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 14, 2017
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Alendronate label of March 12, 2026, Benralizumab label of May 13, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do alendronate and benralizumab differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, alendronate is a bisphosphonate and benralizumab an interleukin-5 receptor alpha-directed cytolytic antibody.
How each works, in its label's words: Alendronate, “Animal studies have indicated the following mode of action.”; Benralizumab, “Benralizumab is a humanized afucosylated, monoclonal antibody (IgG1, kappa) that directly binds to the alpha subunit of the human interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5Rα) with a dissociation constant of 11 pM.”
Generics: alendronate since 2008; benralizumab none approved (Drugs@FDA).
| Alendronate | Benralizumab | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoporosis | Asthma |
| Pharmacologic class | Bisphosphonate | Interleukin-5 Receptor alpha-directed Cytolytic Antibody |
| 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. | Benralizumab is a humanized afucosylated, monoclonal antibody (IgG1, kappa) that directly binds to the alpha subunit of the human interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5Rα) with a dissociation constant of 11 pM. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | Absorption Following subcutaneous administration to patients with asthma, the absorption half-life was approximately 3.5 days. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 29, 1995 | November 14, 2017 |
| First generic approved | February 6, 2008 | none |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 16 labelers | none listed |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.256 per tablet (Alendronate sodium 70 mg tablet) | n/a |
| 12-month price change | -2% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 1 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 100,325 | 19,893 |
| 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