
zometa
Pharmaranks rates Zometa 3.5/5 for recall safety — an independent score from its FDA recall history and its manufacturer's record. Zometa (Zoledronic Acid) is a bisphosphonate used to treat Bone Neoplasms, Hypercalcemia, Multiple Myeloma, Extramammary Paget Disease.
Zoledronic Acid · by Novartis
Available as a generic: Zoledronic Acid
Based on 1 source · Recall-safety score from FDA recall history — this product's own recalls and its manufacturer's record. Not an efficacy or quality rating. methodology →
Key facts
- Active ingredient
- Zoledronic Acid
- Drug class
- Bisphosphonate
- Form
- Injectable
- Strength
- Zoledronic Acid EQ 4MG BASE/VIAL
- Type
- Prescription (Rx)
- Brand or generic
- Brand-name
- May treat
- bone neoplasms, hypercalcemia, multiple myeloma
- Manufacturer
- Novartis
- What the pharmacy pays
- ~$0.48 per ml — not your price
- FDA application
- NDA021386
Drug class
How this class works, per Bisphosphonate - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.
May treat (source: NIH RxClass)
See how Zometa ranks — best-rated bisphosphonate for:
Dosage forms
Injectable
The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.
Ways to save
Ask for the generic
Same active ingredient, far cheaper. Is there a generic? →
Request a 90-day supply
Bulk fills usually lower the per-dose price vs monthly refills.
Use copay cards
Manufacturer copay cards & patient-assistance programs — especially for brand drugs.
Compare alternatives
A same-class option may cost less. See alternatives →
Frequently asked questions
- What does Zometa treat?
- Zometa (Zoledronic Acid) may be used to treat bone neoplasms, hypercalcemia, multiple myeloma, extramammary paget disease, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.
- How does Zometa work?
- Zometa is a bisphosphonate. Bisphosphonates stick to the mineral surface of bone, especially where it is being broken down. When the bone-dissolving cells (osteoclasts) take the drug up, it disables or kills them, slowing bone loss and helping keep bones denser and stronger.
- How is Zometa rated?
- pharmaranks gives Zometa a composite score of 3.5 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.
- How much does Zometa cost?
- Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $0.48 per ml, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.
- Is there a coupon or discount for Zometa?
- pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Zometa. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
- Who makes Zometa?
- Zometa is marketed by Novartis. You can see Novartis's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
- Is Zometa a brand-name or generic drug?
- Zometa is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Zoledronic Acid. Lower-cost generic equivalents containing Zoledronic Acid are available — ask your pharmacist.
- Is Zometa available over the counter?
- No. Zometa is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
- What forms does Zometa come in?
- Zometa is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
- What class of drug is Zometa?
- Zometa is classified as bisphosphonate, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.
- Is Zometa FDA-registered?
- Zometa is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA021386. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
- Has Zometa been recalled by the FDA?
- Zometa has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.
- Is Zometa safe?
- There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Zometa a recall-safety score of 70/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.
Information is sourced from public FDA regulatory data. Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.
What people report to the FDA about ZOLEDRONIC ACID
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 29,040 reports naming ZOLEDRONIC ACID — the active ingredient in Zometa, and the FDA flagged 92% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- osteonecrosis of jaw2,651 reports
- fatigue2,043 reports
- diarrhoea1,890 reports
- nausea1,869 reports
- pyrexia1,755 reports
- arthralgia1,500 reports
- vomiting1,476 reports
- neutropenia1,457 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean ZOLEDRONIC ACID caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved September 26, 2026.
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zometa
70/100