Combined Teriparatide and Denosumab Is More Effective Than Either Drug Alone

Bisphosphonate therapy, the first-line treatment for patients with osteoporosis, usually doesn't restore normal bone-mineral density (BMD) and sometimes is not well-tolerated. Teriparatide (Forteo; a parathyroid hormone analog that stimulates bone formation when injected daily) and denosumab (Prolia; a long-acting injectable agent that inhibits bone resorption) are approved for treating patients with osteoporosis and high fracture risk. Combinations of bisphosphonates with teriparatide have proven to be no more effective than either agent alone, but the combination of teriparatide and denosumab has not been studied.

In a partially industry-funded study, investigators randomized 100 postmenopausal women at high risk for fracture to receive te…