Dr. Gillman warned readers that some popular bone density medications such as Boniva and Fosamax may actually do more harm than good. Boniva, he says, has caused musculoskeletal pain “including back pain, joint pain, intense muscle spasms and also headaches, numbness in the hands, chest pain & tightness, increased heart rate and persistent dizziness to name a few,” he writes. Fosamax has the same side effects, plus another very debilitating one, osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ.

ONJ is a severe bone disease that causes a reduced blood supply to the bones of the jaw and results in damage or death to the jawbone. The condition can be painful and irreversible. In severe cases of ONJ, removal of the affected bone is required.

The jawbone is in close proximity to skin and to somewhat of a dirty environment in the mouth. Thus, when a person takes Fosamax, which slows or stops the normal turnover of bone, the jawbone becomes more susceptible to decay, Dr. Gillman says.

“In other words, drugs taken to prevent fractures due to osteoporosis actually set the patient up for breaking bones and poor repair,” he says. The best bet, he says – strengthen your bones the old-fashioned way through diet and weight-bearing exercise.

SOURCE: Osteonecrosis and Fosamax › Doctor warns against bone density-building drugs

“We’ve been told that the risk of oral bisphosphonates is negligible, but 4 percent is not negligible,” said researcher Parish Sedghizadeh to the Columbus Dispatch. ONJ was previously thought by doctors and dentists alike to be rare – with only 0.7 cases reported per 100,000 Fosamax users. The new study is published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Fosamax is from a family of drugs known as bisphosphonates, designed to help fight the affects of bone decay from osteoporosis. Fosamax is one of the more prescribed brands to treat the disease in recent years, but it is being blamed by some for the rapid increase in the occurrence of ONJ. ONJ is a condition in which the gums expose underlying areas of decaying or dead bone. Severe cases of ONJ may require surgery.

High doses of bone-strengthening drugs like Fosamax have been used in cancer patients to prevent the spread of the disease to the bones. Up to 10 percent of those patients have been diagnosed with ONJ. But the USC study suggests individuals taking lower doses of the medication to fight or prevent osteoporosis are beginning to fall victim to ONJ at higher numbers than previously thought.

SOURCE: Osteonecrosis and Fosamax › Study suggests higher risk of ONJ with Fosamax than previously reported

Merck & Co.’s leading osteoporosis drug Fosamax illustrates the Hollywood paradigm. Its patent protection ran out earlier this year leaving Merck in a struggle to regain its share of the profitable osteoporosis market – a market that it once led, thanks to Fosamax.

As Hollywood producers acquire licensing rights for their blockbuster movies, so has Merck acquired licensing rights to a substance that appears to promote oral bone growth. Called JTT-305, it is a recombinant parathyroid hormone (PTH) that stimulates bone formation cells. Merck purchased the right to develop and commercialize JTT-305 from Japan Tobacco (JT), the world’s third largest manufacturer of tobacco products according to its own website.

In a statement issued by Japan Tobacco, Alan Ezekowitz, a Merck representative, said that “partnering with JT to develop this novel compound complements Merck’s portfolio of musculoskeletal drug candidates … In the future, we believe that use of antiresorptive and osteoanabolic agents together may provide an effective way to reduce the risk of fractures in patients with osteoporosis.”

Ironically, Fosmax is blamed for a high incidence of bone fractures in patients who have taken the drug for years. Faced with a growing number of lawsuits and a plummet in Fosamax sales and profits, Merck must come up with some new blockbusters to replace its old moneymakers, lest it appear to investors that it is losing money.

SOURCE: Osteonecrosis and Fosamax › Merck developing possible Fosamax replacement