Teriparatide vs Abaloparatide: evidence, status and structure
A side-by-side look at Teriparatide and Abaloparatide, using the data on each VALREXA profile. Neither comparison is a recommendation.
Key differences
- Both sit at the same evidence level: Approved use.
- Both have the same U.S. status category: FDA-approved.
| Teriparatide | Abaloparatide | |
| Research class | Endocrine & Growth | Endocrine & Growth |
| Human evidence | Approved use | Approved use |
| U.S. status | FDA-approved (Forteo and others) | FDA-approved (Tymlos) |
| 2026 compounding decision | — | — |
| Amino acids | 34 | 34 |
| Molecular weight | ~4,117.8 Da | ~3,960 Da |
| Formula | C₁₈₁H₂₉₁N₅₅O₅₁S₂ | C₁₇₄H₃₀₀N₅₄O₄₉S |
| Sequence | SVSEIQLMHNLGKHLNSMERVEWLRKKLQDVHNF | 34-residue PTHrP analogue with substitutions |
| Research period | 2002 | 2017 |
| Safety summary | FDA-approved. A boxed warning about bone cancer (based on rat studies) was removed from the label in 2020. | FDA-approved. Can cause heart palpitations and dizziness; boxed warning about bone cancer risk seen in rat studies. |
How they differ
Both are once-daily bone-building (anabolic) osteoporosis injections, and both carry the same boxed warning based on rat bone-cancer studies, with treatment capped at two years. Teriparatide is a copy of parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-34). Abaloparatide is a copy of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP 1-34) with several substitutions designed to bias the shared receptor toward the bone-building response. In trials both cut fractures substantially; abaloparatide showed a slightly larger nonvertebral fracture reduction than teriparatide in its pivotal comparison.
What each one is
Teriparatide: Recombinant PTH(1–34), the active first 34 amino acids of parathyroid hormone. Molecular weight, sequence, research history, human evidence and regulatory status.
Abaloparatide: A once-daily bone-building analogue of PTH-related protein for osteoporosis. Molecular weight, sequence, research history, human evidence and regulatory status.
Educational reference only. Nothing here is medical advice, a treatment recommendation, or dosing or sourcing guidance. Report an error.