FDA Approves Higher Strength Dosage of Fosamax
By Ashley Van Leuven
Published on June 29, 2007
Fosamax is Merck & Co.’s best selling drug and one of the most popular osteoporosis medications. Hundreds of lawsuits filed against Merck, however, claim that the drug can cause osteonecrosis, or bone death, in the jaw, and that Merck failed to properly warn patients of the danger.
Critics of the drug say that its benefits may not outweigh its risks.
The connection between Fosamax and bone death was discovered seven years ago when dentists began seeing higher rates of osteonecrosis of jaw in patients taking the drug.
Merck has set up a $48 million defense fund for lawsuits that claim Fosamax use resulted in osteonecrosis.
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