BREAKING FOSAMAX NEWS

Merck, & Co. sued by Fosamax users for allegedly failing to disclose side effects, including death of the jaw and jaw osteonecrosis (ONJ).

Several lawsuits have been filed by Fosamax users against the drug’s manufacturer, Merck & Co. The lawsuits claim that Fosamax is a defective medication because it can cause jaw osteonecrosis (ONJ) or death of the jaw. The suits claim that Merck knowingly sold and marketed Fosamax despite its link to serious jaw disease. The victims also claim that Merck failed to adequately warn them about potential side effects of the drug.

Merck, already facing thousands of Vioxx lawsuits, claims that clinical trials of the drug Fosamax, showed no link to jaw osteonecrosis. They continue to sell Fosamax and their spokesman Ray Kerins maintains that the "underlying cause" of jaw osteonecrosis  is "uncertain.”

Jaw Osteonecrosis is a disease that involves the loss or breakdown of the jaw bone. Minor symptoms can include jaw  pain or swelling, infections of the gum, loosening of teeth, poor healing of the gums, or numbing of the jaw. Major symptoms include disfigurement of the mouth and jaw, or complete death of the jaw bone.

Fosamax, a widely used prescription medication used to treat osteoporosis or bone loss, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and sold on the market since 1995. It is used by nearly ten million men and women, and is usually ingested orally once a day or on a weekly basis. Fosamax is the brand name for the drug Aldenodrate and belongs to a class of drugs called bisphosphonates. 2005 sales totaled $3.2 billion. Fosamax has been linked to 2,400 incidents of jaw bone decay, jaw osteonecrosis (ONJ), or death of the jaw since 2001.