| Sudden bone breaks have been reported in | | | | thigh pain before the fracture. |
| patients taking the popular osteoporosis drug, | | | | Merck and Co Inc, the makers of the drug, has |
| Fosamax. | | | | denied a link between the drug and the fractures. |
| Although the active ingredient is supposed to | | | | Osteoporosis has been blamed for many of the |
| make bones stronger, some doctors believe it is | | | | breaks, although doctors have been quick to point |
| responsible for many spontaneous fractures and | | | | out that most osteoporosis breaks occur in the |
| breaks. | | | | hip area and usually occur after a fall. |
| A news station in Charleston S.C. reported on a | | | | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently |
| woman whose leg snapped while she was walking. | | | | researching the situation as allegations mount |
| X-rays showed a clean break through the middle | | | | against the medication. However, this is not the |
| of her thigh bone - an extremely rare type of | | | | first harmful side effect linked to Fosamax. |
| fracture and coupled with the fact that she | | | | The drug has been shown to cause a painful |
| neither tripped nor fell prior to the break has | | | | medical condition called osteonecrosis (ONJ), or |
| made doctors curious. | | | | "dead jaw." Osteonecrosis is a slow death of bone |
| Furthermore, it's not a typical break for a person | | | | tissue in the jaw that occurs because of poor |
| with osteoporosis. | | | | blood supply to the bone. Side effects of ONJ |
| Fosamax is designed to stop osteoclasts - cells | | | | include mouth swelling, loosening of teeth and |
| that re-absorb bone in the body. Meanwhile, | | | | exposed bone. |
| osteoblasts, the cells that make bone, are | | | | A New York federal judge refused to dismiss the |
| supposed to keep working, thus preventing | | | | lawsuits against Merck in early 2010 alleging the |
| osteoporosis. However, tests have revealed that | | | | drug caused ONJ in an Indiana woman who took |
| both sets of cells have ceased function in patients | | | | the medication for close to eight years. Close to |
| who have suffered from these sudden fractures. | | | | 900 Fosamax lawsuits have been filed nationwide. |
| The rare fractures have been dubbed "frozen | | | | Merck will defend the drug during the April 2010 |
| bone" by Dr. Robert Bunning, a lead | | | | trial, claiming other factors contributed to the |
| rheumatologist at the National Rehabilitation | | | | patients' jaw problems. Fosamax generated close |
| Hospital. The brittle bone is more susceptible to | | | | to $3 billion annually until generic versions of the |
| fractures, with many patients only feeling vague | | | | drug hit the market. |