Two medicines, side by side
Alendronate vs risedronate
Alendronate and risedronate are both labeled for osteoporosis. Drugs@FDA records approvals of alendronate since 1995 and of risedronate since 1998. Pharmacies paid $0.256 per alendronate sodium 70 mg tablet and $12.91 per risedronate sodium 150 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. How each works, in its label's words: Alendronate, “Animal studies have indicated the following mode of action.”; Risedronate, “At the cellular level, Risedronate Sodium inhibits osteoclasts.”
Check it at the source: the alendronate FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 12, 2026); the risedronate FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 12, 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 risedronate record
Risedronate (Actonel) · label of February 12, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsRisedronate Sodium is a bisphosphonate indicated for: Treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis ( 1.1 ) Treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis ( 1.2 ) Treatment and prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis ( 1.3 ) Treatment of Paget’s disease ( 1.4 ) Limitations of Use Optimal duration of use has not been determined. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 27, 1998
- Generic labelers
- 8 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $12.91 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 3
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Alendronate label of March 12, 2026, Risedronate label of February 12, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do alendronate and risedronate differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Alendronate, “Animal studies have indicated the following mode of action.”; Risedronate, “At the cellular level, Risedronate Sodium inhibits osteoclasts.”
Both are in FDA's class bisphosphonates.
Generics: alendronate since 2008; risedronate since 2007 (Drugs@FDA).
| Alendronate | Risedronate | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoporosis | Osteoporosis |
| Pharmacologic class | Bisphosphonate | Bisphosphonate |
| 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. | Risedronate Sodium has an affinity for hydroxyapatite crystals in bone and acts as an antiresorptive agent. At the cellular level, Risedronate Sodium inhibits osteoclasts. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | In osteopenic postmenopausal women, the terminal exponential half-life was 561 hours, mean renal clearance was 52 mL/min (CV = 25%), and mean total clearance was 73 mL/min (CV = 15%). |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 29, 1995 | March 27, 1998 |
| First generic approved | February 6, 2008 | October 5, 2007 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 16 labelers | 8 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.256 per tablet (Alendronate sodium 70 mg tablet) | $12.91 per tablet (Risedronate sodium 150 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -2% | -27% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 3 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 100,325 | 30,906 |
| 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