Is Teriparatide safe?
Osteosarcoma warning stayed; no human signal
Common side effects in the phase 3 trial were nausea, headache, dizziness and leg cramps. Calcium in the blood rose briefly a few hours after the injection. This was more frequent than with placebo and mostly mild. Blood pressure can drop briefly on standing after the first doses. 12
Osteosarcoma remains in the warnings section. The 2020 label change removed the boxed warning and the fixed two-year treatment limit. This allows longer use in patients who stay at high fracture risk. The label still advises against use in people with Paget's disease of bone, unexplained high alkaline phosphatase, prior skeletal radiation, or open growth plates. Hypercalcemia, kidney stones and raised urine calcium are also listed. 2
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Citations
- Neer 2001, NEJM: Effect of parathyroid hormone (1-34) on fractures and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis doi.org
- Eli Lilly: Forteo (teriparatide injection) prescribing information uspl.lilly.com
Reference information only, not medical advice. Drawn from the Teriparatide article, fact-checked against the cited sources. No dosing anywhere on this site.