The Dangers Associated with Long-Term Fosamax Use

November 23, 2012

Fosamax, a brand name version of the prescription drug alendronate, is used to slow down or prevent the development of diseases that lead to brittle bones. However, there are reported side-effects caused by this pharmaceutical formulation and the blog on Fosamax drug injury legal action explains more on this matter. Just like any other drugs, the said pharmaceutical formulation has its own share of negative consequences, according to medical journals. The blog on Fosamax drug injury legal action explains more on this matter.

 

It has been widely-documented that Fosamax is associated with two rare but serious health problems – osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femur fractures. Osteonecrosis of the jaw develops when the jaw bone fails to heal after a minor injury -- for example, the type of injury sometimes caused by getting a tooth pulled. In numerous cases of women who had taken the drug for long periods of time, their femur bones had just snapped while doing little more than taking a walk.

 

Individuals suffering from any of the above may need to have a doctor adjust their dosage or test different dosage levels to find a safe dosage level to take. Those who are considering taking Fosamax must also consult a doctor if they are pregnant or may be pregnant. Fosamax may be dangerous to unborn babies and it is not known if the drug passes through breast milk to nursing babies.

 

 

 

References:

 

abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/fosamax-long-term-bone-strengthening-drug-linked-fractures/story?id=10045179#.UK0ZUuRthD0

 

abcnews.go.com/Health/fosamax-fracture-cases-women-weigh-risk-bone-loss/story?id=10057108#.UK0ZguRthD0

 

livestrong.com/article/188232-fosamax-long-term-side-effects/

 

ehow.com/how-does_5007124_danger-fosamax-longterm-use.html

 

mayoclinic.com/health/fosamax/AN01379

 

 

Posted by Kevin Thomas. Posted In : fosamax Class Action Lawsuit 

 

Studies Confirm Bisphosphonates May Cause Rare Eye Inflammations

November 23, 2012
fosamax class action lawsuit
Bisphosphonates have been linked to rare cases of eye inflammation, medical experts say, citing various studies documenting the osteoporosis drug’s side effects. This complication may add to the growing list of side effects that patients are warned about when taking bisphosphonates, such as, Fosamax manufacturers Merck which have been involved in class action lawsuits regarding their drugs side-effects.  

The documented types of inflammation associated with bisphosphonate therapy involved cases of uveitis, which involves the middle layer of the eye; followed by episcleritis, which pertains to the sclera or white part of the eye. In both cases eye pain, blurred vision, and redness were the most common symptoms to watch out for with tearing and light sensitivity likely resulting from episcleritis.  

According to research findings, while the dangers of certain eye inflammation ailments are rare and does not prove that bisphosphonates can cause these conditions, there is still a need to inform patients taking this medication of the dangers involved. Patients are advised that if they experience any of these symptoms while on bisphosphonates to seek medical consultation immediately. 

URL References:
 
 osteoporosis.ca/multimedia/pdf/position_statements/New_Study_Confirms_that_Potential_Side_Effect_of_Bisphosphonate_Therapy_on_the_Eyes_is_Very_Rare_April_2012.pdf

Posted by Kevin Thomas. Posted In : fosamax Class Action Lawsuit 

 

The Current State of Bisphosphonate Mass Tort

August 2, 2012
United States and Canadian courts of law have adopted multiple district litigation proceedings to organize and streamline the process for dispensing justice to plaintiffs filing suit with drug manufacturers of Fosamax, media reports say.  Intravenous and oral formulations are both included in complaints against bisphosphonate medications.

Legal controversy has hounded the popular class of osteoporosis medication called bisphosphonates. There are rare and serious side-effects associated with the use of bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, Actonel, Aredia, or Zometa which include atypical femur fractures and osteonecrosis fo the jaw. Major drug manufacturers are currently under scrutiny for producing and marketing these osteoporosis medication the most well known of which is Merck and Co. 

In 2000, the FDA received a steadily growing amount of complaints about Fosamax use and links to osteonecrosis of the jaw. While this complication was originally thought to be linked to intravenous bisphosphonate use, later reports show that oral bisphosphonates such s Fosamax are just as culpable. 

Osteonecrosis of the jaw is otherwise known as “dead jaw” syndrome and is a disfiguring disease that involves the jaw bone to die. Its symptoms include gum and jaw pain, infection, impaired wound healing, numbness, loss of teeth and tissue necrosis. On September 24, 2004 an FDA advisory ordered Merck to upgrade their warning list for Fosamax to include osteonecrosis of the jaw, which has since made legal claims of negligence against the company hard to bring to trial.   Later in May 13, 2007 hundreds of cases were filed and pending trial against Merck and Fosamax related complaints which alleged that the drug company was responsible for profiting off the misfortune of patients who were mislead into taking the osteoporosis drug.

The first bellwether lawsuit against Merck for osteonecrosis of the jaw resulted in mistrial but regardless has since opened the door for more suits to follow against the bone drug manufacturer.  Five more compensatory claims against Merck have been resolved but have all more or less resulted in defense verdicts in favor of the pharmaceutical company except for one which was appealed and still not resolved.   The majority of later cases were ruled in favor of Merck because court findings did not determine that the drug maker was wholly responsible for the damages caused by the complications experienced by the plaintiffs citing that different factors in each case could have triggered the osteonecrosis of the jaw and not necessarily from taking Fosamax. 

Despite the string of victories in favor of Merck in trials involving osteonecrosis of the jaw, lawsuits are continually being brought against the medication company.  Lawsuits involving atypical bone fractures are awaiting their turn to be tried against the pharmaceutical company. As of 2011, approximately 2,345 cases, which include approximately 2,800 plaintiff groups, had been filed and were pending against Merck in either federal or state court in both Canada and the US. 



URL References:

canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=80c4d7e8-123f-48a5-a914-e1146388d2a8&k=54519
merck.com/newsroom/news-release-archive/corporate/2012_0418.html
 


Posted by Kevin Thomas. Posted In : fosamax Class Action Lawsuit 

 
 

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