The osteoporosis drug Fosamax (alendronate sodium) has been linked to a serious condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, jaw necrosis or jaw death. Osteonecrosis of the jaw can cause the death of parts of the jawbone, which can lead to extreme pain and may require the jaw to be removed.

About 3,000 cases of ONJ have been reported among users of Fosamax and similar drugs since 2003.

Bisphosphonates such as Fosamax are designed to treat bone loss due to post-menopausal osteoporosis, advanced cancer or Paget’s disease. Since it approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 1995, more than 10 million patients have used Fosamax.

In 2003, the Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery published a letter which found that dozens of patients taking bisphosphonates had developed the symptoms of jaw necrosis. Subsequent research has uncovered thousands of osteonecrosis cases among bisphosphonate users, including those who used Fosamax.

As a result, in 2004 the Food and Drug Administration asked Merck & Co., the manufacturer of Fosamax, to issue a warning about the risk of developing osteonecrosis from taking the drug.

Although Merck added Fosamax warnings to the information it sends to doctors, patients received no warnings about the risk of Fosamax side effects.

As a result, many were 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, cancer patients taking the bisphosphonate drug and patients who undergo dental procedures are at the highest risk of experiencing the side effects of Fosamax.

A number of patients who have developed osteonecrosis have filed Fosamax lawsuits against Merck alleging that the company failed to properly warn consumers about the risk of Fosamax side effects.

If you have experienced the symptoms of osteonecrosis of the jaw after taking Fosamax, the help of experienced Fosamax lawyers can be crucial to ensure that your legal rights are protected.

(Additional resource for information on the Fosamax side effects) 

Call toll-free: (866) 275-4454