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Injured by Actonel?

Actonel (generic: risedronate sodium), manufactured by Procter & Gamble, was granted FDA approval on March 27, 1998. Actonel is prescribed to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis. Actonel is a type of drug known as bisphosphonates, the same family of drugs as Fosamax, Aredia, and Zometa. Individuals using Actonel or other bisphosphonates should avoid tooth extractions and other major dental work while on the drugs.

A connection between Actonel (and other bisphosphonates) and a serious bone disease called Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) was found. Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) is also known as Dead Jaw. This finding was published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and it prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the manufacturer of Actonel to issue a warning to health care professionals on September 24, 2004.  

Bisphosphonates are commonly used in tablet form to prevent and treat osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Stronger forms of bisphosphonates are commonly used in the management of advanced cancers that have metastasized to the bone, where the disease often causes bone pain and possibly even fractures. Several cancers can involve or metastasize to the bone including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and others. When bisphosphonates are given in cancer chemotherapy, the drugs are given intravenously and usually for longer periods of time.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) is a condition in which the bone tissue in the jaw fails to heal after minor trauma such as a tooth extraction, causing the bone to be exposed. The exposure can eventually lead to infection and fracture and may require long-term antibiotic therapy or surgery to remove the dying bone tissue. Experts say that prevention and early treatment of patients using bisphosphonates such as Actonel is extremely important in preserving the jawbone.

If you or a loved one took Actonel and suffered side effects, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified drug side effects attorney. 

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BONE-DENSITY DRUGS CAN KILL JAWS

Jul 5, 2006 | Philadelphia Inquirer
Across the country, dentists have begun asking patients a pointed question before deciding on treatment: Do you take a bone-building medication such as Fosamax? These widely used drugs, called bisphosphonates, have recently been linked to a rare side effect that causes parts of the jawbone to deteriorate and die. The bulk of the 3,000 published cases of jaw osteonecrosis meaning "dead bone" have occurred after dental procedures, mostly in cancer patients on intravenous...

Another Merck Drug Is Under Legal Attack

Jul 5, 2006 | Los Angeles Times
As Merck & Co. defends itself against a deluge of litigation involving its pain reliever Vioxx, the pharmaceutical giant also is fielding the first of what could be another wave of lawsuits involving Fosamax, its second-biggest seller. The emerging litigation targeting the osteoporosis drug, still in its early stages, illustrates how quickly lawyers can organize themselves and assemble prospective plaintiffs after reports of adverse drug effects even when those problems appear to be...

Bone-building drugs linked to bone-rotting side effect

Jun 13, 2006 | Star Ledger
Michael Erlichman walked into his dental office last week and encountered a patient with an unusual but growing problem. An elderly woman was complaining about soreness caused by her dentures, but there was nothing Erlichman could do to relieve her pain. That's because she suffers from a rare jawbone disease that is increasingly being linked to a group of drugs for osteoporosis and cancer. And he noted she'd been taking one of those drugs for several years. "There's more concern about...

Painful jaw decay tied to osteoporosis drugs

May 5, 2006 | www.cbc.ca
Some drugs commonly used to prevent and treat osteoporosis can cause a painful and irreversible decay in the jaw in rare cases. Health Canada is adding new warnings to the medications, called bisphosphonates, which are taken to protect and strengthen bone. In rare cases, first described three years ago, bisphosphonates can cause jaw bones to rot and die. Jaw necrosis affects up to 10 per cent of people who take bisphosphonate drugs, experts. say. Most have metastatic cancer and have been...

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