Retreatment with teriparatide: our experience in three patients with severe secondary osteoporosis

Teriparatide is a drug for the treatment of osteoporosis which is licensed for use for up to 24 months. There is little experience with retreatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in three patients with severe secondary osteoporosis, the response to a second cycle of teriparatide regarding bone mineral density (BMD) and osteocalcin. Case 1 : A 62-year-old woman with multiple vertebral fractures has received corticoids for a long time. After starting teriparatide, her BMD and osteocalcin increased. She then received ibandronate for 3 years but her BMD declined. After a second treatment with teriparatide, her BMD increased again (18%). Case 2 : A 60-year-old woman with severe osteoporosis in lumbar spine (LS) (T-score - 4.5) had received corticoids for a long time and had celiac disease. After starting teriparatide, her BMD improved by 11.7%. She then received zoledronic acid for 15 months, but bone density decreased, so she was retreated with teriparatide. BMD had a slightly higher increase than after the first cycle (12.6%). Case 3 : A 60-year-old woman consulted for osteoporosis (LS T-score - 5.3), several fractures, and hyperthyroidism. She started teriparatide with improvement in BMD (39%). After 24 months, she received ibandronate for 1 year, but as her BMD declined, she was retreated with teriparatide. BMD showed an increase of 15%. The indication of a second cycle of treatment with teriparatide in three patients was effective in increasing BMD. Additional studies are needed to further identify the benefits and safety of retreatment with teriparatide.