The Tip of the Fosamax Iceberg

Every day, the news has been flooded with more negative news about the osteoporosis drug Fosamax. Made by Merck & Co., Fosamax has been a successful bone disease treatment on the market for over a decade. However, in early January 2009, studies were released that hit the drug and its manufacturer hard. The first links Fosamax to osteonecrosis, especially of the jaw, and the second, which many patients find scarier, links Fosamax to cancer. The flood of reports on the market has medical professionals and researchers asking one question above all others: Is this just the tip of the iceberg?

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Some experts say yes. Fosamax works by attacking cells in the body responsible for bone breakdown, which can help patients dealing with osteoporosis. At the same time, if the drug works too much, it can cause the bone to grow too dense, which takes up inner bone space where bone marrow is found. Bone marrow is responsible for the bone's health, especially in healing and growth, so without enough marrow, the bone will die. If you do break a bone that is, essentially dead, it won't heal. For example, to a patient using Fosamax, femur fractures will not heal, permanently disabling the patient. This problem, known as osteonecrosis, is most commonly found in the jaw, leading to the condition dead jaw. With dead jaw, a patient will have pain, trouble eating, and loose teeth. The bone in the mouth may be exposed.

When it comes to bone problems, some believe that Fosamax risks are only now just starting to become apparent. The real issue here is that this drug changes the way a bone grows and heals. While that may be a good thing at first, the drug stays in the body for a decade or more, so what is most concerning is the long term effect that drug could have on both the bones and other parts of the body. For example, studies linking the drug to esophageal cancer report that many of those affected had used the drug for over two years. Fosamax has only been used for about 13 years, so this is the beginning of possible long-term research. As with any drug, you can't know how the chemicals will affect you twenty years from now if people have only been using it for ten years.

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One thing is certain - we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Fosamax law. The risks may or may not be negligible, as Merck & Co. claims, but there are undoubtedly patients who are dealing with serious side effects from the medication. If you've been injured after using this drug, a lawsuit with Fosamax manufacturer Merck might be in your best interest. Luckily, there are lawyers trained to deal not just with personal injury, but also pharmaceutical cases. Many of today's lawyers are specifically focusing on Fosamax law, and you may even be able to take part in a dead jaw class action suit against Merck. As it stands, there are over 650 Fosamax lawsuits in litigation, and as more studies are done to confirm or prove wrong the allegations against the drug, we may see even more patients coming forward. Don't be afraid to call a Fosamax lawyer today to talk about your rights.

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