Fosamax
Fosamax (alendronic acid) is a medication prescribed to help patients who have been diagnosed with bone diseases such as osteoporosis. In female patients, it can be used a step further than this, as a means of preventing the development of osteoporosis. Furthermore, it has been used in the treatment of Paget's Disease.
However, in a case of true irony, Fosamax has become associated with "low energy femoral shaft...fractures." In layman's terms, this means that patients taking Fosamax have a risk of breaking their thighbone under low-stress conditions, such as standing up, moving up and down stairs — or, in some cases, simply walking.
This is not an infrequent occurrence, either. In one study by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp., femoral fractures showed up in 24 percent of the patients being tested. To reinforce the magnitude of that finding, this is nearly one quarter of the testing group exhibiting signs of this condition. Allowances must be made, of course, for the fact that the population being prescribed Fosamax is at higher risk for such injuries due to bone illnesses, but there was a marked difference between those prescribed the medicine and those prescribed a placebo. Fractures were twice as common in patients prescribed Fosamax as those on a sugar pill.
On the other hand, in a 2010 announcement regarding medications similar to Fosamax, the FDA stressed that in other studies the number of incidents of femurs breaking were comparable between patients on and not on the medication. However, the FDA did go on to caution health care professionals that they should remind their patients of the risk of an atypical femoral fracture while on Fosamax.
In short, the mixed messages involved in these studies should indicate that further testing of these medications is in the best interests of doctors and patients alike. At the age when Fosamax is typically prescribed, bone breaks can be incredibly debilitating and difficult to recover from, particularly when compounded with osteoporosis.
For more information on Fosamax lawsuits and other defective prescription drug claims, you can visit our firm's Drug Injury Attorney Blog.
Carey, Danis & Lowe is investigating serious injuries caused by Fosamax. If you or someone you love has developed a serious health problem or died after taking Fosamax, we would like to hear from you. You may be eligible to file a Fosamax injury lawsuit, which allows you to hold the drug's maker legally responsible for causing your injuries and collect compensation for your increased medical costs, pain, suffering and other catastrophic injuries. To set up a free consultation with Carey, Danis & Lowe, please contact us online or call 1-877-678-3400 to speak with an experienced defective drug attorney.
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sources
-1- http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/ucm208687.htm
-2- http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/DevelopmentResources/UCM072898.pdf