Fosamax Lawyers Ask, Can You Relax With Fosamax?
Fosamax lawyers admonishes victims, and would-be victims as well, that the side-effects brought by Fosamax are not to be taken for granted. The osteoporosis medication Fosamax, known by its generic name alendronate sodium, has been found to cause a serious condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, jaw necrosis or jaw death. So to speak, osteonecrosis of the jaw causes parts of the jawbone to die. Consequently, the condition leads to extreme pain and may necessitate the removal of the jaw.
As of this writing, there are about 3,000 cases of ONJ reported and are prevalent among users of Fosamax and its similar drugs since 2003.
Bisphosphonates such as Fosamax are meant for the treatment of bone loss due to conditions involving post-menopausal osteoporosis, advanced cancer, a.k.a. Paget’s disease. More than 10 million patients were under Fosamax medication since its approval in 1995 by the Food and Drug Administration.
The Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, in its letter dated 2003, documented dozens of patients taking bisphosphonates who developed the symptoms of jaw necrosis. Follow-up studies uncovered scores of cases of osteonecrosis among bisphosphonate users, including those who used Fosamax. Thus, in 2004 the Food and Drug Administration required Merck & Co., the Fosamax manufacturer, to add a label warning on the risk of developing osteonecrosis from Fosamax medication.
Although Merck added Fosamax warning to the information it sends to doctors, the patients nonetheless were left in the dark about the risk of Fosamax. This resulted in many patients being unaware of the potential risk they faced from taking the drug until they developed osteonecrosis of the jaw.
Although any patients taking Fosamax may be at an increased risk of developing jaw necrosis, it is to be considered that cancer patients taking the bisphosphonate drug and patients receiving dental procedures are at the highest risk of experiencing Fosamax’s risks.
As of current records from Fosamax lawyers, a number of patients developed osteonecrosis have filed claims against Merck with allegation that the company reneged on its liability to warn consumers about the risk of their product, Fosamax.
If you think Fosamax has adversely affected your health and life, it would be of great help to seek assistance from experienced Fosamax lawyers. Their expertise can be crucial to ensure that your legal rights are protected.