Bad Break: Merck’s Fosamax and Leg Bones
Make a commentBy Ed Silverman // January 28th, 2008 // 3:29 pm
The allegations and concerns that the drugmaker’s osteoporisis med may cause problems in the jaw - known as osteonecrosis - are well known at this point. Now, though, a new issue has emerged.
A Connecticut woman named JoAnn Moranski has sued Merck and claimed that Fosamax caused multiple stress fractures and suppressed bone regeneration in her legs, according to The Wall Street Journal. She took the med between 1996 and 2006; her lawsuit was filed in a New Jersey state court.
More than 400 people already have sued Merck alleging that Fosamax causes a bone-wasting condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Fosamax, which loses its US patent protection next month, generated sales of nearly $3 billion in 2007.