Fosamax Lawsuit

The osteoporosis drug Fosamax, which is designed to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of fractures, has been linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw, which involves deterioration and death of the jaw bone. It has also been associated with osteonecrosis of the shoulder, osteonecrosis of the knee and osteonecrosis of the hip.

STATUS OF FOSAMAX LITIGATION: Approximately 655 lawsuits involving over 1,000 plaintiff groups have been filed in courts throughout the United States. All federal Fosamax lawsuits have been consolidated for pretrial litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Fosamax lawyers are continuing to review new cases for individuals diagnosed with osteonecrosis of the jaw.

>>REVIEW AN OSTEONECROSIS LAWSUIT WITH AN ATTORNEY<<

OVERVIEW: Fosamax (alendronate sodium) was approved by the FDA for the treatment of osteoporosis in October 1995. The drug is manufactured by Merck & Co., generating annual sales of over $3 billion. In 2008, sale of the generic version, alendronate sodium tablets, was approved by the FDA.

Almost 20 million people have used Fosamax, which belongs to a class of drugs known as bisphosphonates. The drug works by killing osteoclast cells, which break down bone tissue. This strengthens bones and reduces the risk of long bone fractures in patients with osteoporosis.

However, Fosamax has a very long half-life, which means that it remains in the body for years. As a result, the long-term use could lead to permanent decay (osteonecrosis) of the bone in the jaw, hip, shoulder or knee as a side effect of Fosamax.
 
OSTEONECROSIS OF THE JAW: One of the more painful and debilitating side effects of Fosamax is osteonecrosis of the jaw, also known as ONJ or dead jaw. The link between the use of bisphosphonates and the deterioration of the jaw bone has been known for at least five years, yet Merck failed to adequately warn millions of patients about the potential side effect.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw is a rare but serious disease which can ultimately lead to surgery to permanently remove portions of the jaw. Symptoms of jaw necrosis could include pain in the jaw, swelling or infection of the gums, exposed bone inside the mouth and loose teeth or toothaches.

Individuals using Fosamax who undergo dental surgery, such as tooth extractions, are more at risk for developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. Their gums do not heal, leading to infection and exposed jaw bone.

HIP NECROSIS - SHOULDER NECROSIS - KNEE NECROSIS: On September 15, 2008, the Journal of Rheumatology released a study in which Canadian researchers evaluated osteonecrosis side effects by looking at about 88,000 health records from 1996 through 2003.

The use of bisphosphonates like Fosamax was found to increase the risk of bone necrosis nearly three times. In addition to the jaw, Fosamax side effects were linked to osteonecrosis of the shoulder, osteonecrosis of the hip and osteonecrosis of the knee. This could result in severe pain and problems with mobility.