Merck & Co., the manufacturer of Fosamax, says that it preparing for a flood of Fosamax lawsuits it expects will soon be filed by former patients. The company has announced that it has sent aside $48 million to defend itself against charges that Fosamax caused patients to develop a painful condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, or jaw necrosis.

Merck CSO Richard Clark says that a total of 108 Fosamax lawsuit have been filed against the company so far. These patients have alleged that using Fosamax caused them to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw, which can cause the death of jawbone tissue. In addition, these patients have alleged that Merck failed to warn them about the risk of Fosamax side effects they faced from using the drug.

The link between Fosamax and jaw necrosis was uncovered five years ago, when oral surgeons and dentists began to notice an increased number of cases among patients taking Fosamax. Subsequent research about the risk of Fosamax side effects has suggested that patients taking the drug may be more likely to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Because many cases of jaw necrosis first arise after oral surgery is performed on patients taking Fosamax, the American Association of Endondontists says that dental surgeons should check with patients to see if they are on Fosamax before performing oral surgery.

In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration asked Merck to add a warning to the labeling of Fosamax about the risk of jaw necrosis from using the drug. In spite of this, the information packet given to patients who take Fosamax still contains no warning that Fosamax could cause them to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw.