Teriparatide vs Risedronate: Which Prevents Fractures Better?

Teriparatide significantly lowers the risk for new vertebral and clinical fractures in postmenopausal women, compared with risedronate, according to a recent study.

The double-blind, double-dummy trial included 1360 postmenopausal women with at least 2 moderate or 1 severe vertebral fracture and bone mineral density T scores of less than or equal to -1.50. For 24 months, 680 women received 20 μg injections of teriparatide once a day and oral placebo once a week, and 680 women received daily placebo injections and 35 mg of oral risedronate once a week.
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New radiographic vertebral fractures were assessed as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included new and worsened radiographic vertebral fractures, nonvertebral fractures, and clinical fractures.

Compared with patients who had received risedronate, those who had received teriparatide experienced fewer vertebral fractures (64 vs 28), clinical fractures (61 vs 30), and non-vertebral fragility fractures (38 vs 24) after 24 months of treatment.

“Among post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis, the risk of new vertebral and clinical fractures is significantly lower in patients receiving teriparatide than in those receiving risedronate,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Kendler DL, Marin F, Zerbini CAF, et al. Effects of teriparatide and risedronate on new fractures in post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis (VERO): a multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised controlled trial [published online November 9, 2017]. Lancet. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32137-2.