Fosamax® linked to multiple side effects

Fosamax is now being linked to multiple side effects according to the resource for drug information site Consumer Drug Report. According to the report, Fosamax, a bisphosphonate drug designed to treat osteoporosis, is being linked to a number of adverse side effects.

Victims who have taken the medication say that injuries associated with Fosamax use include osteonecrosis (ONJ), also known as “dead jaw”, atypical femur fracture injuries, atrial fibrillation, and esophageal cancer.  

Merck & Co., manufacturer of Fosamax, claims that these side effects were questionable during their own clinical trials. The company also released a statement, countering arguments that the drug causes ONJ, which said “In worldwide post-marketing experience with Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D, rare reports consistent with osteonecrosis of the jaw have been received. Many of these reports lack sufficient clinical details to make definitive assessments or are confounded, particularly since a generally accepted definition of ONJ in the general population is unknown."

Fosamax attorneys have filed Fosamax lawsuits on behalf of victims affected by the injuries allegedly caused by Fosamax. Merck now faces thousands of lawsuits all involving similar allegations that the manufacturer failed to properly warn about the risks associated with the medication. The company is also accused of falsely marketing Fosamax for the treatment of osteoporosis.

These lawsuits have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation and centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

In October 2010, the Food and Drug Administration mandated that Merck update the product with new warning labels displaying the risk of femur fractures associated with Fosamax use.

Fosamax was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October of 1995. It was approved to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Over 20 million patients have been prescribed Fosamax since its approval and it generated $3 million per year in sales prior to the release of a generic version.