Fosamax lawsuits begin

Pharmaceutical company Merck faces 900 complaints against osteoporosis drug

Hundreds of patients who used the osteoporosis drug Fosamax are suing the manufacturer over damage to their jawbones. (Photo: Merck and Co.)

The first of hundreds of lawsuits against pharmaceutical company Merck will begin in New York. A jury will decide whether the company misrepresented the side effects associated with Fosamax treatment.

Fosamax is a bisphosphonate intended to inhibit bone loss. Bisphosphonates are associated with cell death in the jaw, but it is unclear whether the drug causes bone decay.

In a statement, Merck says it will “vigorously defend itself” in court in this first case, and that Fosamax was not responsible for the plaintiff’s jaw damage.