Forteo is a prescription medication used to treat both men and postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for having broken bones. Forteo is a synthetic hormone that is similar to the one the body makes naturally (parathyroid hormone). It works by causing the body to build new bone and increase bone strength by regulating calcium and phosphate.
Forteo comes in an injectable form that is given once daily. It is injected just under the skin of the stomach area or thigh.
Common side effects include nausea, joint aches, and pain.
WARNING: POTENTIAL RISK OF OSTEOSARCOMA
In male and female rats, Forteo caused an increase in the incidence of osteosarcoma (a malignant bone tumor) that was dependent on dose and treatment duration. The effect was observed at systemic exposures to Forteo ranging from 3 to 60 times the exposure in humans given a 20-mcg dose. Because of the uncertain relevance of the rat osteosarcoma finding to humans, prescribe Forteo only for patients for whom the potential benefits are considered to outweigh the potential risk. Forteo should not be prescribed for patients who are at increased baseline risk for osteosarcoma (including those with Paget's disease of bone or unexplained elevations of alkaline phosphatase, pediatric and young adult patients with open epiphyses, or prior external beam or implant radiation therapy involving the skeleton) [see Warnings and Precautions, Adverse Reactions, and Nonclinical Toxicology.
