July 10, 2006
Merck, who is currently embattled in legal deluge over Vioxx, is preparing for another torrent of litigation, this time over its second most popular drug, Fosamax. Recent studies have shown that Fosamax and other bisphosphonates, drugs used to treat bone diseases, poses the rare but serious risk of a jaw rotting disease called osteonecrosis.
While Fosamax litigation is still in the early stages, it is clear that people who have been injured by this drug are coming forward to work with attorneys who are preparing legal claims against Merck.
“We are getting people calling everyday,” says one attorney who represents individuals who have been injury by pharmaceutical products.
Many legal firms have enlisted the services of dentists and other medical experts to carefully evaluate the medical records of potential plaintiffs who may have been injured by Fosamax or a similar drug.
Some firms report they are prepared to file dozens if not hundreds of claims against Merck on behalf of those allegedly injured by one of these medications.
Merck representatives point out that it is difficult to determine how the course of Fosamax litigation might go. To date, it has been difficult to determine the degree of risk Fosamax poses for causing osteonecrosis. Not a single participant in Fosamax clinical trials developed osteonecrosis, according to Merck.
Medical teams are assembling to conduct further research with the hopes of better understanding what triggers osteonecrosis in patients taking Fosamax.
Millions of patients, many older females suffering from osteoporosis, have taken Fosamax since it came on the market in 1995. Merck enjoyed revenues of over $3.2 billion last year alone from sales of Fosamax.
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