Reclast & Warfarin

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PTINR.com Staff

The osteoporosis drug Reclast (R) appears to be safe for warfarin users

Reclast® (zoledronic acid), manufactured by Novartis, received FDA approval August, 2007 as the first once-a-year treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.¹ Women are four more times at risk for osteoporosis than men and most frequent users of bone density medications.²

The product 3 year study (vs. placebo) demonstrated: a 70% reduction of vertebral fractures, 41% reduction in hip factures and significant improvement in bone density. There was a slightly higher incidence of atrial fibrillation in the study group (2.4%) vs. 1.9% in the control group. This suggests the incidences of developing atrial fibrillation were not related to the acute infusions.³

Novartis’ package insert does not include a drug-to-drug interaction between Reclast® and Coumadin®. Adverse reactions did included flu-like symptoms, headache, fever, hypocalcemia, among others but these were not associated with Coumadin® use.¹

If maintaining your bone density and preventing osteoporosis is a priority for you - choosing a medication that works safely while taking warfarin (Coumadin ®) is an important decision you need to make with your healthcare provider.

Patients on warfarin may react differently to the 15 minute, once-a-year injection. You should discuss with your doctor before considering Reclast® therapy. More frequent INR testing may be required, especially in the early weeks following the injection as warfarin labeling recommends more frequent testing for any newly started or recently stopped medications.³

Home INR testing can provide you with an easy, practical means of determining your INR in the privacy of your home and help identify early drug interactions with warfarin.