Femur Fracture lawsuits consolidated to one MDL

Femur fracture lawsuits filed by women who have taken Fosamax®, Boniva®, and Reclast®, which are included in a class of drugs known as bisphosphonates, will all be consolidated into a single multidistrict litigation, according to Consumer Drug Report, a medical drug information resource. Women who have taken these medications for the treatment of osteoporosis claim to have suffered femur fractures as a result of long term use.

Merck & Co., the manufacturer of Fosamax currently faces over a thousand lawsuits filed by women across the United States. Each lawsuit includes similar allegations that Merck failed to properly warn regarding the long term side effects of Fosamax. Three bellwether trials are scheduled this year and will help the courts predict future trends throughout litigation.

All Fosamax lawsuits are currently consolidated before Judge Garrett E. Brown for pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Several Boniva and Reclast femur fracture lawsuits have already been added to the Fosamax MDL. Theresa Thomas- Walsh claims that while taking Fosamax, Boniva, and Reclast, she suffered both right and left femur fractures. Her case was also added to the Fosamax MDL.

The Food and Drug Administration mandated all bisphosphonate drug manufacturers to update warning labels to include long term side effects such as bone injuries and femur fracture injuries.

It is recommended that anyone who has taken Fosamax, Boniva, or Reclast seek medical help if they experience symptoms of possible bone injuries which may include groin or thigh pain.

Bisphosphonate drugs are bone strengthening medications and are prescribed to women who suffer osteoporosis, a chronic condition which often leads to bone breakage. Fosamax is the most widely taken bisphosphonate in the U.S. and generated $3 billion in sales for Merck prior to the release of a generic version.