Studies Link Fosamax to Gastrointestinal Cancer, Femur Fractures, Jaw Death

A new study has been released just as many Fosamax lawsuits are being filed across the nation. It has been found in this new Fosamax safety study that patients who take Fosamax, and specifically the bisphosphonates in Fosamax, have an increased side effect risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer.

According to the study, 8,636 men and women were compared that had a history of upper gastrointestinal cancer in association to 34,544 people who had no history of this type of cancer. The use of biphosphonates was then defined as any person that had been prescribed a prescription containing bisphosphonate, like Fosamax, in the 13-year study. It was then revealed in the study that there was a 13% increase of the side effect risk of upper gastrointestinal cancer of those who took bisphosphonates in comparison to those who did not. It was also found that women were at more of a side effect risk than men. The study was then published in the journal “PLOS One” in their October 2012 issue.

FDA Releases Warning of Fosamax Femur Fracture, Jaw Death & Esophageal Cancer

Fosamax was originally approved in order to prevent bone fractures in those who have experienced a weakening disease such as Paget’s disease and osteoporosis. In October of 2010 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an advisement to those who were taking any medication containing bisphosphonates in order to treat osteoporosis that they were at an increased side effect risk of experiencing atypical femur fractures. In May of 2012 the FDA commissioned an analysis that was then published in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that in cases of patients taking bisphosphonate for more than 5 years there was very little benefit.  This study also cited side effect risks of Fosamax femur fractures, esophageal cancer, and jaw problems when Fosamax is used.