Fosamax (alendronate) is a drug in the bisphosphonate family used to treat osteoporosis by slowing down bone loss while increasing bone mass. Typically, these drugs have been prescribed to post-menopausal women but have also been administered to men who’ve taken steroids. In both instances, the drugs are generally prescribed to treat the onset of osteoporosis.
There is a strong body of medical literature supporting the finding that long-term use of Fosamax and other bisphosphonates, including Actonel and Boniva, causes atypical fractures of the subtrochanteric portion and the mid-shaft portion of the femur. In October 2010, the FDA issued a warning about these types of fractures in patients taking Fosamax and other bisphosphonates. The FDA warning came after a study of 300 patients found that 94% of them had been taking bisphosphonates for a period of five years. The study also found that many of these patients had experienced groin or thigh pain in the weeks leading up to the femur fracture. The study was undertaken by the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Subtrochanteric Femoral Fracture Task Force.
Long-term use is generally understood to be at least four years of bisphosphonate use according to the medical literature. These fractures occur following little to no trauma to the injured party and are often precipitated by a diagnosed or undiagnosed stress fracture of the femur and prodromal pain for weeks or months prior to the fracture.
There is currently a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in New Jersey District Court for these cases, however cases may be filed in the state court in New Jersey.
