Merck Claims Fosamax Not The Root Cause of Woman’s Bone Fractures
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A civil trial filed by Manhattan Woman Mrs. Graves is currently being heard in court. Her lawyer, Timothy M. O’Brien, is claiming that Fosamax had caused such debilitating jawbone deterioration that Mrs. Graves required five major operations, including a lengthy surgery to replace her broken jaw with bone from her left arm.
Merck is claiming that Fosamax is not the root cause of Mrs. Graves’ problems. The counter for the claims by Merck is that Mrs. Graves was also on many other prescriptions like steroids to treat rheumatoid arthritis that weakened her immune system, leading to her jaw infection and healing problems, said Paul F. Strain, the counsel for Merck.
This Lawsuit is part of a handful of bellwether cases that have been filed against Merck, these bellwether cases represent about 1,400 people who are claiming that Fosamax is at the root of their bone ailments. Merck had one a previous case but lost in another, a judge proposed to reduce a plaintiff’s jury award to $1.5 million from $8 million dollars, both sides plan to appeal the ruling.
In Mrs. Graves’s case, the trial is providing a palpable backdrop for a broadening debate among many doctors and researchers who are rethinking Fosamax and similar bone medications known as oral bisphosphonates, particularly as a treatment for women who have not yet developed osteoporosis.
The Food and Drug Administration, which first approved Fosamax in the 1990s to treat and prevent osteoporosis, along with reports in medical journals linking bisphosphonates with some rare medical problems including unusual thigh fractures, published an advisory just last month which has heightened criticism of the long-term use of these medications. The advisory states that all Bisphosphonate producers must proactively warn their consumers about the dangers and potential side effects of their drug by placing warning labels on their products. These warnings according to many like Mrs. Graves, say that it’s already too late as they have suffered atypical bone fractures.
Your rights should be your main concern if you have been injured by the use of Fosamax. You can always seek free consultation from a Femur Fracture Lawyer for more information on you potential legal actions against Merck.