Ibandronate
Ibandronate is a bisphosphonate (a bone-strengthening medicine) used to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis, and in tablet form, to help prevent it too.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 7 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Ibandronate (Boniva) is a bisphosphonate that slows the cells that break bone down, used for osteoporosis after menopause; on the market since about 2007 and available as a generic, it is a less common bisphosphonate, usually chosen for the convenience of a monthly tablet or an injection every 3 months. Most people tolerate it well; the usual complaints are indigestion, back or limb pain, and brief flu-like aches after a monthly dose. The tablet can irritate the esophagus (the food pipe), so stop it and get help for painful swallowing or new heartburn, and report thigh or groin pain or jaw problems promptly.
Clinical pearls
- Swallow the tablet with a full glass of plain water, not mineral water, and stay upright and fasting for 60 minutes.
- Get enough calcium and vitamin D, but keep calcium, antacids, iron and magnesium products at least 60 minutes after the tablet.
- Tell your dentist you take ibandronate, since extractions and implants can raise the small risk of jaw bone damage.
- The ideal treatment length is unknown, so ask every few years whether you still need it or can pause.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Ibandronate, written from its FDA label.
What Ibandronate is used for
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Ibandronate is used for postmenopausal osteoporosis.
- Ibandronate Sodium injection (intravenous): treats osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
- Ibandronate sodium tablets (oral): treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
- It increases bone mineral density and reduces vertebral fractures.
How Ibandronate works
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Ibandronate binds to hydroxyapatite, the mineral part of bone. It inhibits osteoclasts, the cells that break bone down, which reduces bone resorption and turnover.
In postmenopausal women, this lowers the elevated rate of bone turnover and leads, on average, to a net gain in bone mass.
Ibandronate dosage
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The tablet and injection follow different schedules, so they are not interchangeable.
- Tablet: once monthly on the same date, with a full glass of plain water, at least 60 minutes before first food, drink or medicine. Stay upright for 60 minutes.
- Injection: given into a vein by a health care professional about every 3 months.
- Missed tablet dose: if the next scheduled day is more than 7 days away, take it the morning after you remember. Ask your pharmacist about other timing.
- Missed injection: it is given as soon as it can be rescheduled, then every 3 months.
Take calcium and vitamin D if your diet is lacking, but keep calcium 60 minutes away from the tablet.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Ibandronate prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis (ibandronate sodium injection, intravenous)
- 3 mg every 3 months administered intravenously over a period of 15 to 30 seconds
- Do not administer more frequently than once every 3 months
- Do not administer to patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/minute); no dose adjustment for creatinine clearance greater than or equal to 30 mL/min
- Missed dose (ibandronate sodium injection)
- Administer as soon as it can be re-scheduled
- Thereafter schedule every 3 months from the date of the last injection
- Ibandronate sodium tablets (oral)
- One 150 mg tablet taken once monthly on the same date each month
- Take at least 60 minutes before the first food or drink (other than water) of the day, with 6 to 8 oz of plain water, and avoid lying down for 60 minutes
- Missed once-monthly tablet dose, next scheduled day more than 7 days away
- Take one 150 mg tablet in the morning following the date it is remembered, then return to the original monthly schedule
- Missed once-monthly tablet dose, next scheduled day only 1 to 7 days away
- Wait until the subsequent month's scheduled tablet day to take the tablet, then return to the original monthly schedule
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • Take one 150 mg tablet as ibandronic acid once monthly on the same day each month ( 2.1 ) • Instruct patient to: ( 2.2 ) • Swallow whole tablet with 6 to 8 oz of plain water only, at least 60 minutes before the first food, beverage, or medication of day. Avoid lying down for at least 60 minutes after taking Ibandronate Sodium Tablets. • Do not eat, drink (except for water), or take other medication for 60 minutes after taking Ibandronate Sodium Tablets. • Take supplemental calcium and vitamin D if dietary intake inadequate ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Dosage Information The dose of Ibandronate Sodium Tablet is one 150 mg tablet as ibandronic acid taken once monthly on the same date each month. 2.2 Important Administration Instructions Instruct Patients to do the following: • Take Ibandronate Sodium Tablet at least 60 minutes before the first food or drink (other than water) of the day or before taking any oral medication or supplementation, including calcium, antacids, or vitamins to maximize absorption and clinical benefit, (see DRUG INTERACTIONS [ 7.1 ]) . Avoid the use of water with supplements including mineral water because they may have a higher concentration of calcium. • Swallow Ibandronate Sodium Tablets whole with a full glass of plain water (6 to 8 oz) while standing or sitting in an upright position to reduce the potential for esophageal irritation. Avoid lying down for 60 minutes after taking Ibandronate Sodium Tablet (see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS [ 5.1 ]) . Do not chew or suck the tablet because of a potential for oropharyngeal ulceration. • Do not eat, drink anything except plain water, or take other medications for at least 60 minutes after taking Ibandronate Sodium Tablet. 2.3 Recommendations for Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation Instruct patients to take supplemental calcium and vitamin D if their dietary intake is inadequate. Avoid the use of calcium supplements within 60 minutes of Ibandronate Sodium Tablet administration because co-administration of Ibandronate Sodium Tablet and calcium may interfere with the absorption of ibandronate sodium (see DRUG INTERACTIONS [7.1]) .
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Ibandronate side effects
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Common side effects seen in studies include:
Common side effects
- Back pain
- Indigestion (dyspepsia)
- Pain in an arm or leg
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Muscle pain (myalgia)
- Flu-like symptoms after a monthly dose
When to get medical help
- Trouble or pain with swallowing, chest pain behind the breastbone, or new or worsening heartburn. Stop the tablets and get medical help.
- Severe bone, joint or muscle pain, which can start days to months after beginning treatment.
- New thigh or groin pain, which may be a warning sign of an unusual thigh bone fracture.
- Jaw pain, or problems after dental work that are slow to heal, which could be osteonecrosis of the jaw.
- Signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as swelling, trouble breathing or a severe rash. Get emergency help.
- Symptoms of low blood calcium (hypocalcemia). Tell your doctor right away.
Ibandronate warnings and precautions
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- Esophagus and stomach irritation (tablets): can cause ulcers, erosions and bleeding. The risk rises if you lie down after a dose or skip the full glass of water.
- Low blood calcium: should be corrected before starting.
- Severe bone, joint or muscle pain: can start days to months in. Most people improve after stopping.
- Jaw osteonecrosis: linked to dental procedures, poor oral hygiene, cancer and certain other therapies.
- Unusual thigh bone fractures: thigh or groin pain should be checked.
- Severe kidney impairment: the tablets are not recommended.
Ibandronate interactions
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Some products affect how well the tablets are absorbed.
- Calcium, antacids, and iron, magnesium or aluminum products: they interfere with absorption, so wait 60 minutes.
- Food, milk and drinks other than plain water: they sharply reduce absorption.
- Aspirin and NSAIDs: they can add to stomach irritation.
- Ranitidine raised ibandronate absorption by about 20%, which was not considered clinically relevant.
- Bone-imaging agents: bisphosphonates can interfere with them.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Ibandronate prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Calcium supplements, antacids and other products containing multivalent cations (aluminum, magnesium, iron), and some oral medications: Products containing calcium and other multivalent cations are likely to interfere with absorption of ibandronate sodium tablets. Take ibandronate tablets at least 60 minutes before any oral medications, including those containing multivalent cations (antacids, supplements, vitamins); wait at least 60 minutes after dosing before taking other oral medications.
- Aspirin/Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Aspirin, NSAIDs and bisphosphonates are all associated with gastrointestinal irritation. Use caution when co-prescribing aspirin or NSAIDs with ibandronate sodium tablets.
- H2 blockers (ranitidine): In healthy volunteers, co-administration with ranitidine resulted in a 20% increased bioavailability of ibandronate, which was not considered to be clinically relevant.
- Bone-imaging agents (drug/laboratory test interaction): Bisphosphonates are known to interfere with the use of bone-imaging agents; specific studies with ibandronate have not been performed.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Calcium supplements, antacids and some oral medications may interfere with absorption of ibandronate. Do not take within 60 minutes of dosing ( 7.1 ) Use caution when co-prescribing aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that may worsen gastrointestinal irritation. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Calcium Supplements/Antacids Products containing calcium and other multivalent cations (such as aluminum, magnesium, iron) are likely to interfere with absorption of ibandronate sodium tablets. Therefore, instruct patients to take ibandronate sodium tablets at least 60 minutes before any oral medications, including medications containing multivalent cations (such as antacids, supplements or vitamins). Also, patients should wait at least 60 minutes after dosing before taking any other oral medications ( see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION [2.3] ). 7.2 Aspirin/Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Because aspirin, NSAIDs, and bisphosphonates are all associated with gastrointestinal irritation, caution should be exercised in the concomitant use of aspirin or NSAIDs with ibandronate sodium tablets. 7.3 H2 Blockers In healthy volunteers, co-administration with ranitidine resulted in a 20% increased bioavailability of ibandronate, which was not considered to be clinically relevant (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY [12.3] ) . 7.4 Drug/Laboratory Test Interactions Bisphosphonates are known to interfere with the use of bone-imaging agents. Specific studies with ibandronate have not been performed.
7.3 H2 Blockers In healthy volunteers, co-administration with ranitidine resulted in a 20% increased bioavailability of ibandronate, which was not considered to be clinically relevant (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY [12.3] ) .
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Ibandronate
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- Do not use the tablets with esophagus narrowing or achalasia, inability to stay upright for 60 minutes, low blood calcium, or allergy to ibandronate.
- Tell your doctor about gastritis, ulcers, Barrett's esophagus or swallowing problems.
- Severe kidney impairment: the tablets are not recommended, and kidney function is checked before each injection.
- Ibandronate tablets are not indicated for women of reproductive potential. Animal studies showed harm, and there is no human pregnancy data.
- It is unknown whether ibandronate passes into human breast milk.
- Safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.
- Older adults had similar results, though greater sensitivity can't be ruled out.
Ibandronate overdose
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Too much by mouth may cause low blood calcium, low phosphate, and stomach or esophagus problems like upset stomach, indigestion, esophagitis, gastritis or ulcer. Milk or antacids should be given to bind the drug. Do not induce vomiting, stay fully upright, and get medical help.
What Ibandronate does in the body
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Ibandronate lowers markers of bone breakdown in a dose-dependent way. With daily tablets, bone turnover markers dropped about 64% below baseline by 6 months and stayed steady for up to 3 years. After stopping, bone breakdown returns to its pretreatment rate.
How your body processes Ibandronate
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Tablets are absorbed in the upper gut, and food or drinks other than water greatly reduce absorption. A standard breakfast cut it by about 90%. After absorption, ibandronate quickly binds to bone or leaves in the urine. It is not metabolized by the liver, and the kidneys clear it unchanged. Its terminal half-life is long, reported from 37 to 157 hours for the 150 mg tablet.
How to store Ibandronate
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Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° and 30°C (59° and 86°F) . Dispense in a tight container .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Ibandronate
23 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Ibandronate in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 13
- Minor · 9
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Ibandronate: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Ibandronate — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is ibandronate for?
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How do I take the tablet properly?
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Can I take my calcium or antacid with it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Should I worry about dental work?
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How long will I be on it?
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Is Ibandronate available over the counter?
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When was Ibandronate first available?
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Who makes Ibandronate?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Ibandronate on HelloPharmacist
Ibandronate forms and strengths (how it comes)
Ibandronate is available in 2 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Ibandronate inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Ibandronate sodium tablets are used to treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
- Ibandronate sodium tablets are taken once monthly on the same date each month.
- Swallow ibandronate sodium tablets whole with 6 to 8 oz of plain water, at least 60 minutes before food, drink or other medicine.
- Stay upright for 60 minutes after taking ibandronate sodium tablets, and do not chew or suck them.
- Avoid calcium supplements within 60 minutes of ibandronate sodium tablets.
Injection
How this form is used
- Ibandronate Sodium injection is used to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
- Ibandronate Sodium injection is given into a vein only by a health care professional.
- Ibandronate Sodium injection is given about every 3 months, and not more often.
- Kidney blood testing and a dental exam are done before Ibandronate Sodium injection doses.
- If a dose is missed, Ibandronate Sodium injection is given as soon as it can be rescheduled.
Ibandronate on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Ibandronate appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
9 companies list 9 Ibandronate product records with the FDA, mostly as tablet, injection; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2003. Brand names on the directory include Boniva; the rest are generics.
FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (6) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Ibandronate is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Ibandronate is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Ibandronate is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Ibandronate prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Ibandronate ranks #766 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 52% of them.
Utilization by Ibandronate product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
ibandronic acid 150 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 6 of 19 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 904932
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Ibandronate, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 6 of 19 listed Ibandronate NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Ibandronate products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Ibandronate — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 3 mg/3 mL | Intravenous | Apotex Corp. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 3 mg/3 mL | Intravenous | Eugia US LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 3 mg/3 mL | Intravenous | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 150 mg | Oral | A-S Medication Solutions | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 150 mg | Oral | Aurobindo Pharma Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 150 mg | Oral | Bionpharma Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 150 mg | Oral | Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 150 mg | Oral | Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 150 mg | Oral | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 9 of 9 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 9 Ibandronate NDCs →
Ibandronate side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Ibandronate — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Ibandronate in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Ibandronate FDA approval history
How Ibandronate went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Ibandronate recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Ibandronate recalls since July 2021.
✅No Ibandronate recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 115264 3 dose forms · 5 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1659716In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 3 ML ibandronic acid 1 MG/MLRxCUI 904955 -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 452852In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) ibandronic acid 150 MGRxCUI 904932ibandronic acid 2.5 MGRxCUI 904936ibandronic acid 50 MGRxCUI 904946 -
Dose form (SCDF) Prefilled Syringe RxCUI 727807No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 3 ML ibandronic acid 1 MG/MLRxCUI 904952
Look up RxCUI 115264 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Ibandronate supply and shortage status
Whether Ibandronate is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
💵 What Ibandronate costs pharmacies (NADAC benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet, Film Coated · Oral | 150 mg | $2.68 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Injection, Solution · Intravenous | 3 mg/3 mL | $52.65 per mL | NDC details & price history |
| Injection · Intravenous | 3 mg/3 mL | $52.65 per mL | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet, Film Coated | 150 mg | $2.68 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Ibandronate brand names
Ibandronate is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Boniva. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Ibandronate: manufacturers and labelers
9 companies list Ibandronate products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are A-S Medication Solutions, Apotex Corp., Aurobindo Pharma Limited. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Ibandronate drug class (RxNorm)
Ibandronate belongs to the Bisphosphonate class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Ibandronate page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →