Yet another woman who used Fosamax has filed a lawsuit claiming the bisphosphonate drug caused her to suffer a painful femur fracture. This new lawsuit was filed on June 22nd in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County Law Division (Docket No. L-4300-12) by the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP.
Fosamax and other bisphosphonates, a class of drugs taken by more than 5 million people, are used to treat osteoporosis and other bone weakening diseases. Over the years, bisphosphonates have been linked to a number of side effects, some of which may be associated with long-term use, including Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, atypical thigh fractures, and esophageal cancer. In October 2010 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) asked the manufacturers of Fosamax and other bisphosphonates used to treat osteoporosis to add information to the “Warnings and Precautions” section of the drugs’ labels describing the risk of atypical thigh fractures after a study linked long-term use of such drugs to this side effect. In May, an analysis commissioned by the FDA and published in the New England Journal of Medicine found little if any benefit from taking the drugs for more than three to five years.
According to a lawsuit filed by Parker Waichman LLP, the Plaintiff experienced a right subtrochanteric femur fracture in June 2010 after taking Fosamax consistently as prescribed for years. The complaint alleges that the Plaintiff’s injury was a direct result of her Fosamax use. Specifically, the lawsuit claims that the Defendants knew or should have known that long-term use of Fosamax would make bones more susceptible to fractures. Rather than warning the public and its consumers, the suit alleges, the Defendants promoted Fosamax as an effective way to reduce the risk of osteoporosis-induced fractures in post-menopausal women.
In addition to having her thighbone broken, the suit alleges that the Plaintiff has suffered a number of serious consequences from taking Fosamax, including severe mental and physical pain and suffering, permanent injuries, emotional distress, economic loss due to medical expenses and living related expenses due to a new lifestyle. According to the complaint, the plaintiff would not have taken Fosamax and endured the subsequent complications if the Defendants properly disclosed the risks related to using the drug over an extended period of time.
