The Different Complaints About Fosamax
Things are not looking good for Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. What’s in the news is that Merck & Co.is suspected of illegal marketing practices with regard to some of its drugs. However, what really puts the company in a bad position is the several complaints from users about the adverse reactions caused by Fosamax, one of its biggest selling drugs.
Annual prescriptions that are filled for Fosamax could reach up to 20 million. This drug, known as alendronate on its generic counterpart, has been the treatment of choice for certain bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteitis deformans or Paget’s disease. It makes your bones strong by altering the cycle of bone remodeling particularly and prevent bone resorption.
Yet, there are rising number of reports about the adverse reactions that could result from the long term use of the drug. The most commonly reported cases were osteonecrosis of the jaw bone and an atypical fracture of the thigh bone. Moreover, the pharmaceutical company seemingly lacked the proper disclosure of the said hazards causing a number of its patronizers to take legal actions.
It was way back in 2003 when the first Fosamax-related incidence of ONJ was brought to public attention. ONJ, also known to many as Bis-Phossy Jaw, is a disease where a tissue of the jawbone is not receiving much nutrition therefore the tissue dies. ONJ may present symptoms like pain upon chewing a gum and it usually detected during a dental check.
On a different note, an atypical type of fracture has also been linked to the long-term use of the drug. Large studies have suggested that women who are taking bisphosphonates (a group of drug which includes Fosamax) are likely to suffer a low-impact type of fracture in the femur. Nonetheless, this complication is said to be rare and the benefit of the drug still prevails.
To lower down the risk of incurring these adverse effects, some physicians have chosen to give the drug over a shorter duration. In most cases, they will tell their patients to temporarily hold Fosamax and other bisphosphonate drugs after 3 years of drug therapy. Although the adverse and side effects of Fosamax are seriously harmful, the benefits of the drug often justifies the risks involved. Talk to your doctor to know if the drug is right for you.
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