Osteoporosis Drugs, Like Fosamax May Increase Risk of Broken Bones in Some Women
Long-term Use of Popular Class of Osteoporosis Drugs May Have Opposite Effect for Some Women, Experts Say
-ABC News
03/09/2010 - Sandy Potter, 59, of Queens, N.Y., was jumping rope with neighborhood children when she felt her thigh bone snap. "I went up in the air and I came straight down to the ground," Potter said. "The pain was excruciating." Potter, who was diagnosed with osteoporosis at age 48, had been taking the popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax for eight years before breaking her femur. Fosamax, one in a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, is supposed to make bones stronger, and for many women, it is safe and effective. But now there's mounting evidence that, for some women, taking these medications for more than five years could cause spontaneous fractures. More>>>

Doctor Says Fosamax May Increase Risk Of Fractures
- clickondetroit.com
02/27/2010 - Nearly 40 million prescriptions have been written for the popular osteoporosis medication called Fosamax. It's part of a group of drugs called bisphosphonates that are supposed to make bones stronger, but now at least one doctor said there's mounting evidence that these medications could cause spontaneous fractures. More>>>

Judge refuses to dismiss Fosamax ONJ case, sets trial
-Reuters
01/29/2010 - A Manhattan federal judge refused on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Merck & Co Inc's osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused jaw damage to an Indiana woman during the nearly eight years she took the pill. More>>>

Thinning Bones? How to Tell if You Need an Osteoporosis Medication
- U.S. News
01/05/2010 - To hear Sally Field tell it, reversing bone loss with the drug Boniva is important because you have only "one body and one life." And the 63-year-old actress--who looks around 45 in commercials for the bone-building drug--implies that many, if not most, healthy and fit middle-aged women are on the road to osteoporosis. They're not. More>>>

Osteopenia is neither a disease nor a disorder -- so why are so many women treated for it?
- Minnesota Post
12/22/2009 - Any woman who’s been told by her doctor that she has osteopenia (low bone density, but not low enough to be osteoporosis) — and especially any woman who’s taking medication for it — needs to read (or listen to) Monday's National Public Radio (NPR) story on how pharmaceutical companies successfully “changed the definition of a disease and created a whole new category of people who saw themselves as needing treatment.” More>>>

Merck Fosamax lawsuit declared mistrial!
-JusticeNewsFlash
09/28/2009 - Manhattan federal judge declares first of nearly 1,500 plaintiffs lawsuits against Fosamax manufacturer a mistrial. Reports of violence and dessention in the U.S. District court jury deliberation room leads to New York federal judge declaring mistrial. More>>>

Bone density and osteoporosis
- Kansas City Star Midwest Voices
09/23/2009 - The recent mistrial concerning claims that Merck's anti-osteoporosis drug Fosamax allegedly weakens jaw bone tissue reminds us of the rather complicated issues many older people face in dealing with bone density problems. By some estimates half of all women and one third of all men over 65 will develop bone density problems. More>>>

Merck Case Over Fosamax Ends in Mistrial in New York
-Bloomberg
09/14/2009 - A federal judge declared a mistrial in the first case to go to a jury over claims that Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes so-called jaw death after a lone juror refused to exonerate the company. More>>>

Fosamax Plaintiffs Lawyer: Mistrial a 'Shock' to Merck
-Am Law Litigation Daily.
09/13/2009 - To those tracking the first product liability trial accusing Merck's osteoporosis drug Fosamax of causing debilitating jaw bone deterioration, it should come as no surprise that a mistrial was declared Friday. But the lead plaintiffs lawyer's view of the eight-member jury's failure to reach a verdict may be a bit more eyebrow-raising. More>>>

Mistrial Declared In Merck Fosamax Liability Case
-Wall Street Journal
09/11/2009 - A judge declared a mistrial Friday in a closely watched case involving Merck & Co.'s osteoporosis drug Fosamax after a jury failed to reach a verdict amid tense jury deliberations. More>>>

Judge To Give Jury 'Cooling Off' Period In Fosamax Case
-CNN Money
09/09/2009 - A U.S. judge called for a daylong "cooling off" period in a product-liability case over Merck & Co.'s (MRK) osteoporosis drug Fosamax after jury deliberations became tense on Wednesday. More>>>

Jury in bellwether Fosamax case unable to agree
-FiercePharma
09/09/2009 - The jury in the bellwether Fosamax case against Merck said today that they could not reach a decision, but the federal judge presiding over the case sent them back to the deliberation room to keep trying. The jury is to decide whether osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused a woman's osteonecrosis of the jaw--or "jawbone death." The plaintiff is asking for at least $1 million. More>>>

Merck loses effort to dismiss 24 Fosamax cases
-Reuters
09/09/2009 - A Manhattan federal judge has rejected Merck & Co's effort to dismiss 24 cases alleging that its Fosamax drug treatment for osteoporosis causes jaw damage. In an opinion released Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Keenan ruled that the plaintiffs could introduce testimony by two doctors to show that the drug can cause jaw damage after less than three years of continuous use. More>>>

Fosamax Judge Rejects Merck Bid To Exclude Experts' Testimony
-CNN
09/09/2009 - A federal judge denied a bid Wednesday by Merck & Co. to exclude the testimony of several expert witnesses and dismiss 24 personal-injury cases over its osteoporosis drug Fosamax. In an order Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan rejected efforts to exclude testimony by two doctors on whether Fosamax can cause a severe jaw condition known as osteonecrosis before three years of continuous use. More>>>

Merck Jury Told to Keep Deliberating in Fosamax Case
-Bloomberg
09/08/2009 - A federal judge instructed a jury to continue deliberating whether Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused a Florida woman’s “jaw death,” after the panel told the judge it couldn’t decide. More>>>

Jurors weigh jaw risk of Merck osteoporosis drug
-Reuters
09/03/2009 - Jurors heard sharply different closing arguments on Wednesday in a trial over whether or not Merck & Co's Fosamax drug treatment for osteoporosis caused a Florida woman's jaw damage. The trial in New York is Merck's first out of some 1,280 plaintiff groups involving almost 900 cases over U.S. lawsuits by patients who claim Fosamax caused the condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ. More>>>

Fosamax Case Goes to Jury
-The Wall Street Journal
09/03/2009 - A lawyer for Merck & Co. told a jury Wednesday that the osteoporosis drug Fosamax isn't the cause of a severe jaw problem suffered by a 71-year-old Florida woman who took the drug for years. More>>>

Merck’s Fosamax Didn’t Attack Woman’s Jaw, Jury Told
-Bloomberg
09/02/2009 - Merck & Co. didn’t cause a Florida woman’s “jaw death” with its osteoporosis drug Fosamax, a lawyer for the company told jurors at the close of the first trial of hundreds of claims over the medicine. Fosamax plaintiffs say Merck, the U.S. drugmaker buying Schering-Plough Corp., misrepresented the drug’s safety and failed to warn doctors and patients that it might hamper blood flow to the jaw, which causes jawbone-tissue death. More>>>

The good and the not-so-good of osteoporosis drugs
- North Island Midweek
08/18/2009 - “Do you treat osteoporosis?” asked Patty. “I have been doing some research and I sure want to avoid the Fosamax that my doctor has prescribed for me.” Patty, 65, had recently read an article about the bisphosphonates, the drugs that are used to treat osteoporosis. These include Fosamax, Actonel and Didrocal. The most notable things she remembered from the article were the increased risk of jaw necrosis (death of the jaw bone), increased risk of esophageal cancer and atrial fibrillation. More>>>

Fosamax lawsuits begin
-WHYY News
08/12/2009 - Hundreds of patients who used the osteoporosis drug Fosamax are suing the manufacturer over damage to their jawbones. The first of hundreds of lawsuits against pharmaceutical company Merck will begin in New York. A jury will decide whether the company misrepresented the side effects associated with Fosamax treatment. More>>>

Merck readies for first Fosamax trial
-Reuters
08/11/2009 - Merck & Co on Tuesday is slated to fight the first of numerous U.S. lawsuits brought by patients who claim they suffered jaw damage from the company's widely used Fosamax treatment for osteoporosis. Some 1280 plaintiff groups, involving almost 900 cases, have alleged jaw problems due to Fosamax, a one-time blockbuster product that recently began facing generic competition in the United States. More>>>

Merck Faces First Trial of Claim That Fosamax Attacks Jawbone
-Bloomberg
08/10/2009 - Merck & Co., the drugmaker facing 900 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes the death of jawbone tissue, goes to trial tomorrow in a case that may affect all the others. More>>>

Statement By Merck & Co., Inc. Regarding FOSAMAX® (alendronate Sodium) And Rare Cases Of Osteonecrosis Of The Jaw
-Medical News Today
08/02/2009 - Merck is committed to putting patients first and providing accurate information regarding the efficacy, safety and tolerability of our medicines. Merck offers the following statement concerning the osteoporosis medication FOSAMAX® (alendronate sodium) and reports of jaw problems associated with delayed healing and infection of the jaw often following tooth extraction. More>>>

Merck Won’t Face Punitive Damages in Fosamax Trial
-Bloomberg
07/30/2009 - Merck & Co., facing more than 850 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax may cause irreversible “jaw rot,” won’t face punitive damages in the first trial, a federal judge said. More>>>

Bone-building drug led to stress fracture
-The People's Pharmacy
07/28/2009 - Two weeks after I suffered a thighbone fracture that had started as a hairline stress fracture, a friend alerted me to your column citing an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (Feb. 18). I showed it to my doctors, and we all agreed that my fracture was caused by long-term use (12 years) of Fosamax. More>>>

Rapid City Dentist Says Patients Need to Disclose Medical History
-BlackHillsToday
07/02/2009 - The old saying “knowledge is power” penned by English philosopher Francis Bacon is a motto doctors and dentists live by. The more they know about patients the better treatments they can provide. More>>>

Drug 'reports' found to be faked
-TorontoStar
06/23/2009 - From the creation of fake academic journals, to bogus stories submitted to real journals, to falsified results in some of academia's most respected publications – the pharmaceutical industry has been rocked by allegations that the world's biggest drug companies put public relations above public safety. More>>>

Headline : Merck faked to promote drug
-DownToEarth
06/17/2009 - Pharma giant Merck has been accused of using unscrupulous methods, including publication of fake journals, to promote its anti-arthritis drug Vioxx. More>>>

The return of the dreaded 'Phossy Jaw'
-RDH Magazine
06/06/09 - During the early 19th century, it was discovered that adding yellow (now called white) phosphorous to matchstick heads made it easier to ignite matches. As a result, there was an enormous demand for these "strike-anywhere" matches.(1) During the industrial revolution, this new industry of matchmaking was profitable, and low wage workers spent 10 to 15 hours a day over large heated vats that contained yellow phosphorus.(2) More>>>

Merck Paid for Medical ‘Journal’ Without Disclosure
-NewYorkTimes
05/14/2009 - Pharmaceutical companies routinely offer doctors reprints of articles from medical journals that are favorable to their products. But news of a Merck-sponsored publication for doctors in Australia, that has come to light in a personal injury lawsuit there over Vioxx, has raised eyebrows in international medical publishing. More>>>

Doctors warn of jaw damage from bone drugs
-TheNewsTribune
04/07/2009 - After Geneva Grimpo fell and broke her hand and her arm, doctors put the tiny, fragile-looking woman on drugs to strengthen her bones. Three years into her drug therapy, trouble began. More>>>

True Stories: Serious complications of drugs for osteoporosis
-Recorderonline
03/14/2009 - Bones are formed, molded and absorbed continuously. Bone cells, called osteoblasts, are responsible for the new bone formation and cells known as osteoclasts absorb the bone. Osteoclast activity leads to thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), which results in fractures eventually. Around 60 years, the new bone formation slows down, osteoclast activity increases and bone thinning accelerates. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drugs Linked to Rotting Jaw Disease
-NaturalNews
03/05/2009- Widely used osteoporosis drugs can significantly increase the risk of bone death in the jaw, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dentistry and published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. More>>>

Jaw problems linked to medication
-The Columbus Dispatch
02/23/2009- KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After Geneva Grimpo fell and broke her hand and arm, doctors put the tiny, fragile woman on drugs to strengthen her bones. Three years into her drug therapy, trouble began. Her lower jawbone poked out through sores on the left side of her mouth where her gums had decayed. The visible bone was dead, and she used her fingers to fish out tiny bits as they broke off. More>>>

New Concerns Regarding Use Of Bisphosphonates
-EmaxHealth
02/10/2009- Bisphosphonates are a class of drug that slow bone resorption by reducing osteoclast function. Many studies have shown that this class of medication can improve bone density and reduce the risk of fracture in patients with a reduced bone density. They have been used commonly for more than a decade for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, and are administered in two ways: orally and intravenously. More>>>

Drugs used to fight cancer and osteoporosis can create ‘dental cripples’
-The Kansas City Star
02/03/2009- Her problem is a growing concern for dentists nationwide. It is called osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ, a condition in which the gums become painful and infected, exposing underlying areas of dead bone in the jaw. Dentists see ONJ in patients who take certain bone-strengthening drugs used to fight cancer or osteoporosis — drugs that include Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel, some of the most-prescribed medications on the market. More>>>

Fosamax Linked To Esophageal Cancer
-InjuryBoard
02/02/2009- Fosamax, a popular osteoporosis drug by Merck, and other similar drugs have been linked to some rare, but serious, side effects, including heart irregularity, osteonecrosis of the jaw and most recently esophageal Cancer. More>>>

Study on osteoporosis drug and risk of heartbeat problems
-BMJ Group
01/21/2009- You may have read reports this week that women who take a medicine commonly used for osteoporosis face an increased risk of heart problems. But how big is the risk, and should you worry about it? We take a closer look at the evidence to find out. More>>>

Serious Injuries Linked to Fosamax
-InjuryBoard
01/18/2009- Fosamax, the osteoporosis drug, has been linked with some rare, but serious, side effects, esophageal cancer and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Esophageal cancer is cancer of the esophagus and osteonecrosis of the jaw is a bone-killing infection. More>>>

Arthritis Patients Should Be Aware of Complication Tied to Bisphosphonate Use
-About.com
01/11/2009- It's not uncommon for arthritis patients to be prescribed one of the bisphosphonates. Fosamax (alendronate), Boniva (ibandronate), Actonel (risedronate), Aredia (pamidronate), and Reclast (zoledronic acid) are among the bisphosphonates -- a class of drugs prescribed to treat bone conditions such as osteoporosis and Paget's disease of bone. More>>>

Osteoporosis drug Fosamax linked to serious diseases: Studies suggest the drug could raise the risk of cancer of the esophagus and a bone-killing infection in rare cases.
-LA Times
01/10/2009- Two recent reports have linked the osteoporosis drug alendronate (Fosamax) with rare but serious side effects. In a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine published Jan. 1, a Food and Drug Administration official reported that since Fosamax was first marketed in 1995, 23 cases of esophageal cancer in patients taking the drug -- including eight deaths -- have been reported to the agency. More>>>

Bone strengthening pills linked to jaw bone damage
-Reuters
01/09/2009- It has been known for a while that injections of a class of anti-osteoporosis drugs might trigger jaw bone decay after certain dental procedures, and now it seems that pill forms of the so-called bisphosphonate medications could have the same side effect. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax Linked to Two Serious Side Effects
-HealthNews
01/06/2009- Use of bisphosphonates has been associated with unusual bone fractures, severe bone, joint and muscle pain and an increased risk of atrial fibriliation (AF), a type of abnormal heart rhythm. Now, researchers have discovered that two other serious side effects associated with bisphosphonates may be more frequent than previously suggested: osteonecrosis of the jaw and esophogeal tumors. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax May Raise the Risk for Jaw Infection
-eFlux
01/05/2009- The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday warned that Merck’s popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax and other similar drugs might increase the risk of developing a jaw infection. The disease is known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and is characterized by pain, soft-tissue swelling, infection, loose teeth and exposed bone. More>>>

Esophageal Cancer Risk Heightened with Osteoporosis Drugs
-TopNews
01/05/2009- A Food and Drug Administration official said Merck's popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax and other similar bisphosphonates could carry a risk for esophageal cancer and may have been related to at least 50 such cases since 1995. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drugs Cause Dental Disaster: Loose Teeth and Exposed Jaw Bones
- NaturalNews
01/03/2009- Want to watch your teeth fall out and have your jaw bone exposed inside your mouth? Just take osteoporosis drugs! That's the conclusion of dentists who are seeing an alarming increase of patients experiencing severe dental problems following their use of prescription osteoporosis drugs called biphosphonates (such as Fosamax). More>>>

Fosamax Jaw Necrosis Risk Identified in New Study
-AboutLawsuits
01/02/2009- According to new research from the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry, Fosamax side effects have been linked with the development of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a debilitating condition where the jaw bone deteriorates and decays. More>>>

Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
Condition marked by pain, swelling, loose teeth and exposed bone
-HealthDay
01/01/2009- The proportion of people taking widely prescribed oral osteoporosis drugs who develop a nasty jaw condition may be much higher than previously thought, a new study suggests. More>>>

Jaw disease alert for women taking popular osteoporosis pills
-Mailonline
01/01/2009- Alert: The osteoporosis drug Fosamax may raise the risk of jaw disease. Women taking tablets to protect their bones from osteoporosis could be at risk of serious jaw damage, claim researchers. More>>>

Report Links Osteoporosis Drug to Esophagus Cancer
Fosamax May Be Tied to 23 Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Report Says
-ABC News
01/01/2009- There could be some worrying news for the tens of millions of Americans currently taking Fosamax. A brief report from the FDA says that the osteoporosis drug Fosamax may be linked to 23 cases of esophageal cancer. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drugs May Suppress Bones' Ability to Heal
-NaturalNews
12/10/2008- The long-term use of osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates can actually weaken bones by impairing their ability to heal, leading to fractures, according to a study conducted by researchers from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. More>>>

Bone Drugs: The Latest Skeletons in Big Pharma's Closet
-NaturalNews
12/08/2008- Bisphosphonate bone drugs have been in the news recently, and if you look outside the mainstream media you will find that the news is not good at all. Instead of a product that actually cures illness or corrects deficiencies, bisphosphonates are just the latest scandalous skeletons in the closet of Big Pharma. Like many other skeletons in the closet, they are no more than scam drugs created for profit which cause more harm than good. More>>>

Side Effect Watch: Femur Fractures in Fosamax Patients
-WSJ
12/03/2008- A study in the June issue of the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma links Merck’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax to a rare type of fracture in the femur. The small, observational study looked at 70 patients who experienced low-energy femur fractures, which occur when someone falls from a standing height or less. Twenty-five patients (36%) were taking Fosamax on average for four years or more. More>>>

Susan Lark, MD Speaks Out Against the Newest Osteoporosis Drug, Reclast
-PRWeb
11/28/2008- Susan Lark, MD, noted medical researcher and women's health practitioner, has spoken out against the newest prescription osteoporosis medication on the market, Reclast, as well as other oral bisphosphonates such as Boniva, Actonel, and Fosamax. More>>>

ADRAC : bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw
-Xagena Medicine
10/01/2008- Bisphosphonates are drugs commonly used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. They are widely used in the management of advanced cancers that have metastasized to the bone, where the disease often causes bone pain and possibly even fractures. More>>>

Guest commentary: Bone-building drugs pose risks
-Sacbee.com
09/25/2008- Every year, 23 million women take Fosamax or other bone-building drugs for osteoporosis and osteopenia – brittle bones and bone-thinning. While these medications do protect the bones, they carry hidden risks that few women know about. More>>>

Bisphosphonates Cause Rare Eye Inflammation:
Finding just latest in list of potential adverse events for bone-saving medications
-U.S.News
09/25/2008- Doctors can now add inflammatory eye disease to the list of potential side effects from the bone medications known as bisphosphonates. More>>>

Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis Treatment Linked to Jawbone Damage
-InjuryBoard.com
09/23/2008- Osteoporosis drugs are not without possible adverse effects, including a condition in which jawbone tissue dies. “Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is a mouthful, pun intended,” says Dr. Thomas B. Dodson, an expert on oral and maxillofacial surgery a Massachusetts General Hospital. More>>>

What’s the Story with FOSAMAX
-InjuryBoard.com
09/16/2008- That is a complex question for which there is no easy answer. However, it might help for us to gain a basic understanding of Fosamax’s composition; the specialized way that it works; and how the body eliminates Fosamax. It would also be interesting to address any specialized concerns about how Fosamax reacts with the specialized bone that makes up the jaw. More>>>

Dr. Gott: Osteoporosis drugs put into question
-Northwest Herald
08/17/2008- Dear Dr. Gott: I just read in The New York Times that long-term use of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis can lead to weaker bones in some people. Since I suffer from the disease, I am very concerned. I question whether I should discontinue my medication. More>>>

Medics warned over effects of drug
-PharmacyEurope
08/13/2008- Prescribers have been told to stay alert to the side-effects of an osteoporosis drug after it was found to weaken bones in the jaws of patients. More>>>

Bone Meds Could Have Side Effects With Bite
-Medical News Today  
08/09/2008- Doctors often prescribe bisphosphonates for both osteoporosis as well as certain cancers. And usage has been increasing due to large-scale marketing and advertising to consumers. More>>>

Fosamax, anti-inflammatory drugs can raise risk of stomach ulcers
-LA TIMES
07/29/2008- Five years ago, I developed duodenal ulcers after taking Fosamax for six weeks. I was also taking ibuprofen for headaches at the same time. More>>>

Drugs meant to fight breaks may weaken bones:
Injuries reported after long-term use of medication for osteoporosis
-Houston Chronicle
07/20/2008 • A 2001 study of beagles taking high doses of bisphosphonates found an accumulation of microscopic damage, though there was no evidence that their bones were weaker. More>>>

Report: Bone-building drugs might actually weaken them
-McKnights.com
07/17/2008-Researchers are questioning the effectiveness of bone-building drugs used to fight osteoporosis, saying they might weaken bones in a subset of patients. More>>>

Specialists play down risk of jaw condition
-Irish Times

07/08/2008 - Specialists in the Republic of Ireland have played down fears that a drug commonly used in the treatment of osteoporosis (thinning of the bone) can cause severe jaw problems. More>>>

FDA: Concern Over Drugs For Bone Strength
-CBS News
06/26/2008- MIAMI (CBS4) ― A drug promoted to older women to help them deal with aging may in some cases do more harm than good. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drugs Found to Cause Severe Pain in Muscles, Joints and Bones
-NaturalNews
06/20/2008- The FDA has issued a new warning that a popular class of osteoporosis drugs may lead to severe, chronic and even permanent pain in muscles, joints and bones. More>>>

USC Study Links Jaw Infections to Osteoporosis Drugs
-Bell Gardens Sun
06/09/2008- A group of University of Southern California School of Dentistry researchers says it has identified the slimy culprits killing the jawbones of some people taking drugs that treat osteoporosis. More>>>

Another Fosamax Side Effect: Low Energy Femur Fractures
-NewsInferno.com
06/07/2008- Fosamax, a popular drug for treating osteoporosis, has been linked to a rare type of femur fracture. Though the study was small, it is just the latest research to link Fosamax to a disturbing side effect. More>>>

Broken bones & osteoporosis medication
-The Philadelphia Inquirer
05/31/2008- Patients admitted to nursing homes after breaking a bone are not usually put on medications to treat osteoporosis, a new study concludes. The study, led by Harvard Medical School researchers, looked at pharmaceutical claims data and Medicare data from 1995 to 2004 to analyze osteoporosis drug usage among patients admitted to a nursing home following a hip, wrist or shoulder fracture. More>>>

Do dental work before taking bone drugs
-Wausaudailyherald.com
05/27/2008- For many people, oral health and overall physical health seem to exist as two separate spheres. But it's important to realize that oral health and whole body health go hand-in-hand, and to be especially aware of the effects certain medications have on your dental well being. More>>>

Osteoporosis Drug Can Flutter the Heart
-Heartzine.com
05/05/2008- The osteoporosis drug Fosamax that is prescribed to women might increase their risk of developing an irregular heart beat, a study by researchers at the Group Health Centre for Health Studies and University of Washington suggests. Despite the findings, the researchers conclude that the benefits of the drug far outweigh the risks faced by women. More>>>

Fosamax “Dead Jaw Syndrome” Tied to Microbial Biofilms
NewsInferno.com
05/04/2008- Microbial biofilms are behind a nasty side effect of osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax, new research says. These biofilms, a mix of bacteria and sticky extracellular material, are causing jaw tissue infections in patients taking bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva, according to a study conducted at the USC School of Dentistry. Earlier this year, another group of researchers linked biofilms to eye infections that were caused by recalled Renu with MoistureLoc Contact Lens solution in 2006. More>>>

Researchers Uncover Link Between Osteoporosis Drugs and Jaw Infection

-Health News Digest
04/30/2008 - A group of University of Southern California School of Dentistry researchers says it has identified the slimy culprits killing the jawbones of some people taking drugs that treat osteoporosis. More>>>

Osteoporosis meds and bone collapse: weighing the risks

-Globe and Mail
04/08/2008 - Osteonecrosis of the jaw, a disease in which a patient's jawbone rots and dies, has been associated with the use of bisphosphonates, a popular class of medication for the treatment of osteoporosis. More>>>

Fosamax Linked to Serious Abnormal Bone Fractures
Natural News.com
03/29/2008-On March 20, 2008, The New England Journal of Medicine published a physician group report of 15 women taking Fosamax who experienced "atypical low-energy fractures," which means their bones broke doing almost nothing – a serious kind of injury typically seen in very elderly individuals in declining health. The fact that the NEJM is reporting this is a major wake up call to anyone who hasn't figured out that Fosamax is dangerous to your health. More>>>

Merck CEO got $14.5 million in 2007
-Forbes

03/10/2008 - Merck & Co.'s chief executive officer, Richard T. Clark, received compensation valued at $14.5 million in 2007, an 80 percent raise in a year when the drugmaker took a $4.85 billion charge to settle much of the litigation over its former painkiller Vioxx. More>>>

FDA Posts MedWatch Side Effect Alert for Osteoporosis Drugs
-Naturalnews.com
02/21/2008 - The FDA recently issued a statement that bisphosphonate drugs used to treat osteoporosis may cause "severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle pain". More>>>

Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
-MIMS Ireland
02/20/2008 - Bisphosphonates are a class of medicinal substances approved for various indications related to their inhibitory effect on bone resorption in certain malignant and benign diseases, including osteoporosis. More>>>

Trouble Brews Over Merck Product
-Wall Street Journal
1/30/2008 - Merck & Co.'s pending $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement is expected to bring more than three years of litigation to an end. But looming challenges to some top-selling products, including osteoporosis blockbuster Fosamax, threaten to keep the company under a cloud. More>>>

Suit Alleges More Health Problems From Merck's Fosamax Drug
-Wall Street Journal
1/28/2008 - A Connecticut woman has sued Merck & Co., claiming that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused multiple stress fractures and suppressed bone regeneration in her legs. JoAnn Moranski of Fairfield alleges in a complaint filed in New Jersey state court that she took the drug from 1996-2006. More>>>

Study cites rare risk in use of bone drug UBC research cites potential harm for post-menopausal women with osteoarthritis
-Vancouver Sun
01/16/2008 - Drugs used mainly to prevent bone fractures or treat osteoarthritis, often in postmenopausal women, may cause bone tissue to crumble and die in rare situations, according to a B.C.-led study. More>>>

Popular Osteoporosis Drugs Triple Risk Of Painful Bone Necrosis, Study Finds
-Science Daily
01/15/2008 - A University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute study has found that a popular class of osteoporosis drugs nearly triples the risk of developing bone necrosis, a condition that can lead to disfigurement and incapacitating pain. More>>>

Merck signs deal for Fosamax authorized generic
-Reuters
01/11/2008 - Merck & Co Inc said on Friday it had signed a deal for an authorized generic form of its blockbuster Fosamax osteoporosis drug, to become available after the U.S. patent on the world's top-selling osteoporosis drug lapses on February 6. More>>>

U.S. warns of severe pain with osteoporosis drugs
-Reuters
01/07/2008 - Patients treated with widely used osteoporosis drugs may develop severe and sometimes disabling pain in muscles, joints and bones, U.S. officials said on Monday in an alert highlighting the previously known risk. More>>>

Judge denies class in Fosamax cases against Merck
-Reuters
01/04/2008- A U.S. federal judge has denied motions to certify classes of users of osteoporosis drug Fosamax who wanted Merck & Co to set up a program to monitor them for an ailment involving jaw bone decay. More>>>

Regulator acts on risk alert for bone drugs
-The Australian
12/15/2007- AUSTRALIA'S drug regulator has moved to ensure consistent warnings of possible side effects are published for drugs used to treat osteoporosis and bone cancer, after claims some patients were not adequately warned the drugs have been linked to a progressive decay of jaw bones. More>>>

'Jaw death' suit filed against Merck
-Southeast Texas Record
12/13/2007- A Houston law firm has filed a searing "jaw death" lawsuit against Merck, alleging the drug manufacturer knew its medication Fosamax was defective from the start and, in spite of the dangers, went so far as to bribe physicians to prescribe the drug. More>>>

Warning on ‘bone death’ in jaws
-IC Wales
11/05/2007- The increasing use of anti-osteoporosis and bone cancer drugs could be responsible for a painful dental condition. More>>>

Eye on Health
-KX News
10/07/2007- Some of the very popular drugs used to combat osteoperosis and certain cancers can have severe side effects when taken after certain proceedures. More>>>