Prescription medication · Parathyroid Hormone Analog
teriparatide
Also sold as Forteo. This medicine treats osteoporosis in women after menopause who have a high chance of breaking a bone.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 111,257
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 1
- InteractionFew interactions
- 52% less
- Generic vs brandBig savings
- $1726.47
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
teriparatide (Forteo) is a prescription Parathyroid Hormone Analog, more reported than most tracked drugs (111,257 FDA reports), whose generic runs roughly half the brand price or less (52% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
teriparatide (Forteo) is a prescription Parathyroid Hormone Analog. This medicine treats osteoporosis in women after menopause who have a high chance of breaking a bone.
Teriparatide (Forteo) is a medicine that helps to strengthen your bones. It is similar to a natural hormone in your body that helps build bone.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$1726.47/unit
Generic Price
$832.72/unit
Generic Savings
52%
Generic Available
Yes (3 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats osteoporosis in women after menopause who have a high chance of breaking a bone.
Common side effects
Joint pain, General pain, Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
Key warnings
This medicine may increase your risk of a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from teriparatide's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Teriparatide works like a hormone called parathyroid hormone. This hormone helps your body build new bone. By building new bone, this medicine helps make your bones stronger and less likely to break.
How to Take It
You will inject 20 mcg of this medicine under your skin once a day. You can inject it into your thigh or stomach area. If you feel dizzy when you first start taking it, sit or lie down. Make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D every day.
This is a plain-language summary of teriparatide's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if this medicine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Breastfeeding is not recommended while using this medicine.
This is a plain-language summary of teriparatide's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember that day. Do not take two doses at once.
This is a plain-language summary of teriparatide's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Keep this medicine in the refrigerator at all times and throw away the pen 28 days after you first use it.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 111,257 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for teriparatide, by number of reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
8,958 reports
- Joint pain
Joint pain
8,658 reports
- Pain in your arms or legs
Pain in your arms or legs
8,339 reports
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady
Feeling lightheaded or unsteady
8,265 reports
- Accidental fall
Accidental fall
7,872 reports
- General pain
General pain
7,519 reports
- Feeling tired or weak
Feeling tired or weak
7,158 reports
- Pain in your back
Pain in your back
5,903 reports
- Muscle cramps or twitches
Muscle cramps or twitches
5,730 reports
- General feeling of discomfort or illness
General feeling of discomfort or illness
5,658 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for teriparatide each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where teriparatide sits
teriparatide has more FDA adverse-event reports than 87% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is teriparatide; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 111,257 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
111,257
Reports Mentioning Death
5,261
4.7% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
23,997
Top Indication
Osteoporosis
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAUSEA | 8,956 |
| 2 | ARTHRALGIA | 8,658 |
| 3 | PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 8,338 |
| 4 | DIZZINESS | 8,265 |
| 5 | FALL | 7,872 |
| 6 | PAIN | 7,516 |
| 7 | FATIGUE | 7,159 |
| 8 | BACK PAIN | 5,903 |
| 9 | MUSCLE SPASMS | 5,730 |
| 10 | MALAISE | 5,658 |
| 11 | HEADACHE | 5,461 |
| 12 | ASTHENIA | 5,426 |
| 13 | INJECTION SITE ERYTHEMA | 5,042 |
| 14 | INJECTION SITE PAIN | 4,807 |
| 15 | INJECTION SITE BRUISING | 4,762 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
This medicine may increase your risk of a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma. You should not use this medicine if you have certain bone conditions, such as Paget's disease, bone cancer, or have had radiation to your bones. If you have high calcium levels in your blood, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
Known Drug Interactions
Parathyroid Hormone Analog Teriparatide Sporadic case reports have suggested that hypercalcemia may predispose patients to digitalis toxicity. Teriparatide transiently increases serum calcium.
Mechanism: Teriparatide raises calcium levels in your blood, which can make the heart more sensitive to digoxin and lead to toxic effects.
What to do: Your doctor should monitor your calcium levels and watch for signs of digoxin side effects.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
How long can I use teriparatide?
What should I do if the solution looks cloudy?
Can I inject this medicine into my muscle?
What if I have kidney stones?
Can this medicine affect my heart?
What if I am taking digoxin?
Can children use this medicine?
What do I do if the pen seems to be malfunctioning?
Does this medicine cause allergic reactions?
What if I recognize I am pregnant while using this medicine?
What are the common side effects of teriparatide?
Does teriparatide interact with other medications?
What drug class is teriparatide?
Is there a generic version of teriparatide?
Is teriparatide safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in Parathyroid Hormone Analog
Other drugs grouped near teriparatide - same-class peers and common alternatives.
abaloparatide
Tymlos
Tymlos is a medicine to treat osteoporosis.
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alendronate
Fosamax
Binosto is a medicine that helps make your bones stronger.
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calcitonin
Miacalcin, Fortical
Calcitonin is a medicine that helps manage calcium levels in your body.
Compare with teriparatide →
denosumab
Prolia, Xgeva
Stoboclo is a medicine that helps to treat osteoporosis and increase bone mass.
Compare with teriparatide →
ibandronate
Boniva
Ibandronate (Boniva) is a medicine that helps treat and prevent bone loss in women after menopause.
Compare with teriparatide →
Medication Guides
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What the FDA Data Shows for teriparatide
The FDA label for teriparatide (sold under brand names such as Forteo) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Parathyroid Hormone Analog class. This medicine treats osteoporosis in women after menopause who have a high chance of breaking a bone. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Joint pain, General pain, Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea).
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 111,257 voluntary reports. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $832.72 versus $1726.47 for the brand - a 52% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: May 27, 2025
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages