After yet
another report linking Fosamax to sudden thigh bone breaks was published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, the number of Fosamax Lawsuits will surely grow. This report, the fourth of its kind since 2008, further strengthens the accusations of those filed.
Done by Swedish researchers, this study, reviewed the records of 12,777 women in Sweden who were aged 55 years and older and had sustained a femur fracture in 2008. The results reviled that 1,271 patients with a subtrochanteric or diaphyseal fracture were identified, and x-rays for 1,234 of the women were obtained The results showed that researchers identified 59 women suffering from atypical femur fractures. Forty-six of the women in this subset (nearly 78%) had taken bisphosphonates such as Fosamax.
The scope and methodology of this study are causing many experts to applaud the efforts. Sundeep Khosla, who along with the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR, a group that conducted a similar study which led to revised femur fracture warnings for Fosamax-like drugs), Its the largest and most comprehensive study of this issue that Ive seen. The research is also unique because it reviewed the x-rays of nearly all the study participants with atypical femur fractures.
This was a result that reassures those patients who are currently using Fosamax. The results showed that even with the confirmed correlation between Fosamax use and the Femur fractures, the actually risk was small.
This may be good news for Fosamax users, but not necessarily for drug manufacturer Merck. The study results do not let the company off the hook for femur fractures allegedly caused by its top-selling osteoporosis medication. The low absolute risk for atypical femur fractures from Fosamax does not mean no-risk, and those considering suing Merck over their thigh bone break should feel encouraged by the results of the study.
If you feel you have suffered from the use of Fosamax, you should also know your rights. It is best advised that you consult a Fosamax Femur Lawyer, many will even give a free consultation on the matter.
