NATPARA is a prescription parathyroid hormone used with calcium and vitamin D to control low blood calcium (hypocalcemia) in people with low parathyroid hormone blood levels (hypoparathyroidism). It is only for people who do not respond well to treatment with calcium and active forms of vitamin D alone, because it may increase the possible risk of bone cancer (osteosarcoma).

NATPARA was not studied in people with hypoparathyroidism caused by calcium-sensing receptor mutations. It was not studied in people who get sudden hypoparathyroidism after surgery. It is not known if NATPARA is safe and effective for children 18 years of age and younger. NATPARA should not be used in children and young adults whose bones are still growing.

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NATPARA works by treating low blood calcium in hypoparathyroidism

NATPARA is the first and only FDA-approved prescription parathyroid hormone that is taken along with calcium and vitamin D to control hypocalcemia in adults with hypoparathyroidism.

PTH balances the level of calcium and vitamin D in the body in 3 major organs by:

Activating vitamin D to help the body get calcium from food

Increasing the amount of calcium the kidneys reabsorb

Releasing calcium from the bones into the bloodstream

NATPARA helps to control your blood calcium level

NATPARA helps raise low blood calcium levels caused by hypoparathyroidism. It works by:

Helping your intestines absorb calcium by activating vitamin D
Increasing the amount of calcium your kidneys reabsorb
Releasing calcium from your bones

NATPARA may cause serious side effects, including:
High blood calcium (hypercalcemia)

NATPARA can cause some people to have a higher blood calcium level than normal.
- Your doctor should check your blood calcium before you start and during your treatment with NATPARA.
- Tell your doctor if you have nausea, vomiting, constipation, low energy, or muscle weakness. These may be signs that you have too much calcium in your blood.

NATPARA helped reduce the need for oral calcium supplements and reduced or removed the need for active vitamin D

In a 24-week clinical study in 124 adults with hypoparathyroidism:

To prove the efficacy of NATPARA, by the end of the study patients had to have their:
- Dose of active vitamin D reduced by at least 50%
- Dose of calcium reduced by at least 50%
- Blood calcium level in a certain target range (between 7.5 mg/dL and 10.6 mg/dL)

of patients who received NATPARA reduced their active vitamin D and oral calcium use by at least half while maintaining calcium levels in the blood within a target range compared with 3% in the placebo group^a,b

of patients who received NATPARA were able to stop all use of active vitamin D and to reduce their oral calcium to no more than 500 mg per day compared with 3% in the placebo group^a,b

of patients who received NATPARA reduced their oral calcium use by at least half compared with 8% in the placebo group^a,b

At the end of the clinical study, there were no differences in the percentage of patients with serum calcium levels between 7.5 mg/dL and 10.6 mg/dL in the NATPARA (86.9%) and placebo (87.5%) groups.

Of the 124 adult patients, 84 were taking NATPARA and 40 were taking placebo.

NATPARA may cause serious side effects, including:

Low blood calcium (hypocalcemia)

People who stop using or miss a dose of NATPARA may have an increased risk of severe low blood calcium levels
Tell your doctor if you have tingling of your lips, tongue, fingers and feet, twitching of face muscles, cramping of feet and hands, seizures, depression, or have problems thinking or remembering

Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these signs and symptoms of high or low blood calcium levels.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.