Jennifer Fisher Wilson | Apr 6, 2003 | 6 min read
Late last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first osteoporosis treatment that stimulates bone formation, instead of slowing bone breakdown as other drugs do. Teriparatide decreased vertebral fractures by 90% while increasing spinal bone mass. This new drug is a portion of human parathyroid hormone (PTH), the primary regulator of calcium and phosphate metabolism in bone. Teriparatide (Forteo) is manufactured by Eli Lilly and Co. and is a clear step forward, though it does no