Alendronic Acid
Fosamax is the only alendronic acid product on this shelf, available as 35 mg and 70 mg tablets for osteoporosis and Paget’s disease of bone.
Key points
- Alendronate, the name printed on the label, is a bisphosphonate: a medicine that binds to bone and slows the cells that break it down.
- “Alendronic acid” and “alendronate” describe the same active ingredient; you will see both names on packaging and in medical literature.
- The label emphasises swallowing the tablet whole with water and staying upright afterwards, because the medicine can irritate the oesophagus.
How does alendronic acid work?
Alendronic acid belongs to the bone health category of medicines called bisphosphonates. It attaches to the surface of bone and reduces the activity of osteoclasts, the cells that naturally remove old bone tissue. With less bone being broken down, the balance tips toward maintaining density. This is why it is used for osteoporosis, where bone loss outpaces bone formation, and for Paget’s disease of bone, where the remodelling process runs out of control.