Fosamax

Heninger Garrison Davis is investigating injuries caused by the prescription medication Fosamax. This medication has been, and continues to be, prescribed to millions of individuals.

Fosamax (generic name alendronate) is manufactured by Merck.  It gained FDA approval in 1995 and has been on the market for 10 years. 

Fosamax linked to Dead Jaw

The drug has been linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). Otherwise known as “dead jaw,” osteonecrosis is a severe condition in which the jaw dies and is unable to regenerate, eventually leading to extreme pain and exposed bone in the mouth. This can result after minor trauma (after using Fosamax) such as a tooth extraction, causing the bone to be exposed. The exposure can eventually lead to infection and fracture and may require long-term antibiotic therapy or surgery to remove the dying bone tissue.

Fosamax is part of a class of drugs known as biphosphonates, which are used to:

• treat osteoporosis in post menopausal women;

• increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis;

• treat Paget’s Disease (a condition that results in abnormal bone growth); and

• treat bone pain caused by some types of cancer.

Fosamax used by over 22 million

Fosamax is the most commonly dispensed biphosphonate in the United States and accounted for 22 million prescriptions by 2004.

Stronger forms of bisphosphonates are commonly used in the management of advanced cancers that have metastasized (or spread) to the bone. Several cancers can involve or metastasize to the bone, including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and others. When bisphosphonates are given in cancer chemotherapy, the drugs are given intravenously and usually for longer periods of time.

A connection between Fosamax and other bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) has been identified.  That finding was published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and it prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the manufacturer of Fosamax to issue a warning to health care professionals on September 24, 2004.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ)

Also known as “dead jaw,” osteonecrosis is the destruction of bone tissue. Osteonecrosis of the jaw is a painful, deteriorative condition that involves soft-tissue swelling in the mouth, infection, loosening of the teeth, drainage, and exposed bone. It is often the result of blood not properly reaching the bone.