Peptide LibraryTeriparatide dosage in published studies and labels
These are the doses used for Teriparatide in FDA labelling and published clinical studies, reported as each source states them, one row per regimen. They describe what was studied or approved for a specific population. They are not a recommendation, and none of them is a dose for any individual.
Research and educational reference only. This is not medical advice, and no figure on this page is a dosing recommendation.
Last checked against primary sources:
Studied regimens and sources
Teriparatide has an FDA-approved human dosage of 20 mcg once daily by subcutaneous injection into the thigh or abdomen, for osteoporosis at high risk for fracture in postmenopausal women and men, including osteoporosis caused by long-term glucocorticoids. The Forteo label says use for more than 2 years in a lifetime should only be considered if fracture risk stays high or becomes high again. Teriparatide labels from other companies give the same dose.
FDA Approved
| Human dosing established | Yes |
|---|---|
| Studied dose range | 20 mcg once daily |
| Route | Subcutaneous |
| Frequency | Once daily |
| Duration studied | Up to 2 years in a lifetime as a rule; longer only if fracture risk remains or returns to high |
| Half-life | About 1 hour after subcutaneous injection (Forteo label) |
| Evidence level | FDA Approved |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-07 |
Research-reported dosing
Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDA label — Forteo, osteoporosisFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information | Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture; men with primary or hypogonadal osteoporosis at high risk; men and women with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis at high risk | 20 mcg | Subcutaneous, thigh or abdomen; not intravenous or intramuscular | Once daily | More than 2 years in a lifetime only if fracture risk remains or returns to high | In the label's postmenopausal study (1637 women), new vertebral fractures occurred in 5.0% with 20 mcg daily against 14.3% with placebo | FORTEO (teriparatide injection) — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed |
| FDA label — Teriparatide Injection (Teva), osteoporosisFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information | The same three osteoporosis populations as Forteo | 20 mcg | Subcutaneous, thigh or abdomen | Once daily | More than 2 years in a lifetime only if fracture risk remains or returns to high | Treatment of osteoporosis | Teriparatide Injection (Teva) — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed |
| FDA label — Bonsity (Alvogen), osteoporosisFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information | The same osteoporosis populations as Forteo | 20 mcg | Subcutaneous, thigh or abdomen | Once daily | — | Treatment of osteoporosis | BONSITY (teriparatide injection) — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed |
| Distal radius fracture healing — randomised trial (Aspenberg et al., 2010)Clinical trial · Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial | Postmenopausal women aged 45 to 85 with a distal radial fracture treated by closed reduction without surgery (n=102) | 20 mcg or 40 mcg, against placebo | Injection; route not stated in the indexed abstract | Once daily, started within 10 days of the fracture | 8 weeks | The primary hypothesis, that 40 mcg would shorten the time to cortical bridging, was not supported; in post hoc analysis healing was faster with 20 mcg than placebo (median 7.4 vs 9.1 weeks), which the authors say should be interpreted with caution | Aspenberg P et al. Teriparatide for acceleration of fracture repair in humans: a prospective, randomized, double-blind study of 102 postmenopausal women with distal radial fractures. J Bone Miner Res. 2010. |
Where sources disagree
- The current Forteo label lists osteosarcoma under Warnings and Precautions: it was seen in rats given teriparatide and has been reported in patients after marketing, although observational studies in humans have not shown an increased risk, and data beyond 2 years of use are limited. The label says to avoid teriparatide in people at higher baseline risk, including those with open growth plates, Paget's disease or other metabolic bone disease, bone metastases or skeletal cancer, prior radiation to the skeleton, or inherited conditions that predispose to osteosarcoma.
- The label also warns about hypercalcaemia, orthostatic hypotension (the first doses are given where the person can sit or lie down) and severe allergic reactions. It is not approved for children, and calcium and vitamin D are added when dietary intake is inadequate.
- The licensed products are prefilled pens of 560 mcg in 2.24 mL (250 mcg/mL) that deliver 28 daily doses of 20 mcg. Research-labelled teriparatide powder vials are not these products: their identity, content and sterility are not covered by any label cited here.
- Fracture healing is not an approved use. In the one randomised trial cited here, the higher 40 mcg dose did not significantly shorten healing against placebo; only a post hoc comparison favoured 20 mcg. The PTH(1-34) Analog profile describes generic and compounded preparations of the same molecule.