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Patients and healthcare specialists might have concerns about oral bisphosphonate medications and atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures &ndash fractures in the bone just beneath the hip joint. Oral bisphosphonates are typically prescribed to avoid or treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal females. Typical brand names of medicines in this class include Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, and Reclast. If you have taken fosamax you should speak to your health care provider to see if you are at risk for a fosamax femur fracture.

Current news reports have raised the question about whether or not there is an elevated danger of this kind of fracture in patients with osteoporosis employing these medicines. At this point, the data that FDA has reviewed have not shown a clear connection between bisphosphonate use and a risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures. FDA is working closely with outside specialists, including members of the not too long ago convened American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Subtrochanteric Femoral Fracture Job Force, to collect additional information that might give much more insight into this problem.

Based on published case reports of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures occurring in women with osteoporosis utilizing bisphosphonates, FDA, in June 2008, requested data from all bisphosphonate drug manufacturers regarding this prospective safety signal. All accessible case reports and clinical trial information had been requested. FDA’s evaluation of these data did not show an boost in this threat in girls making use of these medications.

In addition, FDA reviewed a December 2008 write-up in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Analysis by Abrahamsen et al¹, that analyzed data from two significant observational research in patients with osteoporosis. The authors concluded that atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures had a lot of comparable features in widespread with classical osteoporotic hip fractures, which includes patient age, gender, and trauma mechanism. The data showed that patients taking bisphosphonates and those not taking bisphosphonates had similar numbers of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures relative to classical osteoporotic hip fractures. If you or someone you know has suffered a femur fracture after taking Fosamax, you or they may be eligible for a fosamax femur fracture lawsuit.

This communication is in keeping with FDA’s commitment to inform the public about its ongoing safety assessment of drugs. The agency will continue to review new information as it becomes obtainable and will update the public as soon as the agency’s evaluation is complete.

Healthcare pros must continue to adhere to the suggestions in the drug label when prescribing oral bisphosphonates. Patients really should not stop taking their medication unless told to do so by their healthcare expert. Patients should speak to their healthcare expert about any issues they have with these medications.