Claimed effect · Abaloparatide

Does Abaloparatide help with vertebral fracture risk?

A
Grade A — established in humans1 large RCT (n=2,463, 18 mo) · effect size: large
Short answerEstablished in humans. 1 large RCT (n=2,463, 18 mo) point the same way: a large effect. New morphometric vertebral fractures in 0.6% on abaloparatide against 4.2% on placebo in the published analysis — a relative reduction of about 86%. The abstract reports the direction and refers to the paper's table for the figures.

What the studies show

New morphometric vertebral fractures in 0.6% on abaloparatide against 4.2% on placebo in the published analysis — a relative reduction of about 86%. The abstract reports the direction and refers to the paper's table for the figures.

“Among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, the use of subcutaneous abaloparatide, compared with placebo, reduced the risk of new vertebral and nonvertebral fractures over 18 months.”

Verbatim, from the abstractMiller PD, Hattersley G, Riis BJ, et al. Effect of abaloparatide vs placebo on new vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: a randomized clinical trial (ACTIVE). JAMA, 2016;316:722–733

Several well-run randomised trials in people, pointing the same way. You can plan around this. It still says nothing about whether the effect is worth the side effects for you.

  1. 1
    Miller PD, Hattersley G, Riis BJ, et al. Effect of abaloparatide vs placebo on new vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: a randomized clinical trial (ACTIVE).JAMA, 2016;316:722–7332,463 women, 18 months; abaloparatide 80 µg vs placebo vs open-label teriparatide. Fracture percentages are in the paper's table, not the abstract.

In context

Abaloparatide is a 34-amino-acid analogue of parathyroid-hormone-related protein, given as a daily injection for osteoporosis at high fracture risk. In the ACTIVE trial, 2,463 postmenopausal women were randomised to abaloparatide, placebo or open-label teriparatide for 18 months; abaloparatide reduced new vertebral and non-vertebral fractures against placebo and caused less hypercalcaemia than teriparatide. Approved in the US since 2017 and the EU since 2022.

Abaloparatide is approved (rx). Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is Abaloparatide proven to help with vertebral fracture risk?
Yes, as far as human trials can show it: 1 large RCT (n=2,463, 18 mo). LYO grades this outcome A.
What studies are behind the grade?
New morphometric vertebral fractures in 0.6% on abaloparatide against 4.2% on placebo in the published analysis — a relative reduction of about 86%. The abstract reports the direction and refers to the paper's table for the figures.
Is Abaloparatide approved for this?
Abaloparatide is an approved medicine (Approved (Rx)); whether this particular outcome is a licensed indication is stated on the compound page's regulation section.

Other outcomes for Abaloparatide

Written and maintained by LYO Research — how pages are written and checked. Reviewed 23 September 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →