Merck & Co. faces multiple lawsuits

According to Consumer Drug Report, a drug information resource, pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. is currently facing multiple lawsuits. Two women claim to have suffered osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), or “dead jaw”, after taking Fosamax® and have filed lawsuits against Merck. Opening statements were heard on March 1, 2012.

According to Merck, the two women suffered from medical conditions that cause jaw injuries prior to taking Fosamax and maintain that Fosamax did not cause their injuries.

In addition to the claims brought forth by women who have suffered osteonecrosis after taking Fosamax, women have made claims that Fosamax causes atypical femur fractures. According to their complaints, spontaneous femur fractures would occur during normal activities such as walking or jogging.

There are two separate multidistrict litigation trials for Fosamax lawsuits. All femur fracture lawsuits are currently consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and all osteonecrosis lawsuits are consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern Court for the Southern District of New York.

Merck introduced Fosamax in October of 1995 for the treatment of osteoporosis, a chronic bone condition that causes bones to become weak and fragile. Fosamax is included in a class of drugs known as bisphosphonates, which are bone strengthening medications.

In addition to Fosamax, Merck also manufactures a drug known as Vytorin® which helps lower the amount of cholesterol and involves a combination of Zocor® and Zetia®. Vytorin is a competing drug to Zocor and is much more expensive.

A shareholder lawsuit was filed against Merck claiming that Merck jointly marketed Vytorin, with the help of Schering-Plough Corp., as being more effective than Zocor and concealed the results of a study that showed otherwise. The lawsuit was settled and Merck agreed to pay $5.1 million to cover plaintiff fees.

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Fosamax® lawsuit attorneys actively pursue Fosamax injury claims

Fosamax lawsuit attorneys are actively pursuing claims against drug manufacturer Merck & Co. for reported adverse side effects associated with prescription drug Fosamax. Currently, the pharmaceutical giant faces a large number of lawsuits filed by individuals who claim to have suffered femur fracture injuries among other injuries.

In 1995, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Fosamax use to treat a chronic condition known as osteoporosis. The drug works by strengthening bones and preventing breakage. However, claims have been reported to the FDA stating that Fosamax and other bisphosphonate drugs cause atypical femur fractures.

A causal linkage between long term use (considered to be 12 months or more) and femur fractures were determined in recent studies conducted by researchers of bisphosphonates. It was shown that drugs like Fosamax tend to slow down the rate at which the body replaces old bone with new bone leading to possible fractures which may be serious and life threatening. Some patients claim that femur fractures would occur spontaneously, especially during running or jogging.

The FDA issued a warning to consumers and health professionals regarding the increased risk for suffering femur fractures in 2008. In 2010, the FDA mandated that all bisphosphonate manufacturers update their warning labels to include the increased risk for fracture with long term use.

Other injuries allegedly caused by Fosamax include osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) or “dead jaw,” atrial fibrillation, and esophageal cancer. Currently all femur fracture lawsuits have been consolidated and centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

U.S. District Judge John Keenan ordered three Fosamax bellwether trials to occur this year, one in May, September, and November. Each Fosamax lawsuit against Merck alleges that the company failed to properly issue sufficient warnings regarding the risk for femur fracture injuries.

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Victims continue to sue Merck for Fosamax® femur fractures

Consumer Drug Report recently reported a case filed by another victim of Fosamax femur fracture injuries. According to the drug risk information resource, a woman by the name of Reba Inez Patton and her husband Patrick Patton filed a claim alleging that bisphosphonate medication, Fosamax and Boniva®, caused her to suffer from a low-energy femur fracture in December 2010. The fracture is a rare form of bone injury which may occur with little or no trauma to the victim.

The Fosamax lawsuit was filed on December 15, 2011 against drug maker Merck & Co., maker of Fosamax, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), maker of Boniva, in the Superior Court of New Jersey.

The complaint filed by the Patton’s alleges that both Merck and GSK falsely marketed the medications, which are designed to strengthen bones in women diagnosed with osteoporosis, claiming that the companies failed to provide sufficient warnings of the femur fracture risks.

Due to the femur fracture injuries, Mrs. Patton suffers severe and permanent damage requiring ongoing medical care.

Thousands of Fosamax femur fracture lawsuits have been filed against Merck & Co. all of which make similar allegations that the drug company failed to properly warn of the risks associated with long term use of Fosamax.

Fosamax was designed to treat osteoporosis, a chronic condition in which bones become brittle and break. The Food and Drug Administration approved Fosamax in October of 1995. Since its approval, over 20 million patients have taken the medication. The drug grew in popularity and prior to the release of a generic, Fosamax brought in revenues of $3 million.

All lawsuits filed against Merck have been consolidated as part of a multidistrict litigation and is centralized in the U.S. District court for the District of New Jersey.

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Fosamax Lawsuit Information Resource

More information on Fosamax lawsuits available at: http://cleveland.injuryboard.com/fda-and-prescription-drugs/

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