Which drug is an anabolic agent used in osteoporosis management?

Which drug is an anabolic agent used in osteoporosis management?

• A. Teriparatide
• B. Alendronate
• C. Denosumab
• D. Raloxifene

Answer: (A)

Anabolic therapy for osteoporosis aims to build new bone by stimulating osteoblast activity. Teriparatide is a recombinant parathyroid hormone fragment given as daily injections; when exposure is intermittent, it preferentially promotes bone formation rather than bone resorption. This leads to increases in bone mineral density and a reduction in fracture risk, especially in individuals at high fracture risk or those who have not benefited from antiresorptives or have glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. In contrast, the other agents are antiresorptives: alendronate inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone breakdown, denosumab blocks RANKL to reduce resorption, and raloxifene—a selective estrogen receptor modulator—also acts mainly to decrease bone resorption and does not provide the same anabolic bone-building effect.

Anabolic therapy for osteoporosis aims to build new bone by stimulating osteoblast activity. Teriparatide is a recombinant parathyroid hormone fragment given as daily injections; when exposure is intermittent, it preferentially promotes bone formation rather than bone resorption. This leads to increases in bone mineral density and a reduction in fracture risk, especially in individuals at high fracture risk or those who have not benefited from antiresorptives or have glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

In contrast, the other agents are antiresorptives: alendronate inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone breakdown, denosumab blocks RANKL to reduce resorption, and raloxifene—a selective estrogen receptor modulator—also acts mainly to decrease bone resorption and does not provide the same anabolic bone-building effect.