But researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine
have found that the first such drug now available, called
teriparatide (brand name Forteo), is not cost-effective compared
with the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis medication,
alendronate (brand name Fosamax). While the average wholesale
price of alendronate is about $900 per year, teriparatide costs
nearly eight times as much at about $6,700 annually. The
findings, to be published in the June 12 Archives of Internal
Medicine, suggest that teriparatide should be given only to the
highest-risk patients and to those who don't tolerate standard
treatments. "We're not saying you shouldn't use this new drug at
all, but, given that we have limited health-care resources, we
need to consider whether we as a society are prepared to pay the
additional cost of the drug, given the effectiveness of existing
therapies," said lead study author Hau Liu, MD, MPH, a
postdoctoral fellow at Stanford's Center for Health
Policy/Center for Primary Care and Outcomes