MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bisphosphonates'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:28:41 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174750&cid=t_108497_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FGBeiLGazlTE%2F Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) Another oral bisphosphonate (Fosamax with ONJ) lawsuit trial set. The next trial date for a Fosamax lawsuit involving jaw necrosis is scheduled to begin early next month. The Fosamax trial will involve a complaint brought by Linda Secrest, of Florida, who alleges that Merck failed to adequately warn that side effects of Fosamax, the popular osteoporosis drug, can lead to severe jaw bone decay. Trial is scheduled to begin on September 7, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Fosamax is an osteoporosis drug that belongs to a family of similar medications known as bisphosphonates. Long-term use of oral bisphosphonates has been linked to an increased risk of serious and debilitating jaw problems, known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. The... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174750 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:27:46 +0100 5174750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051241&cid=t_108497_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FNb6v9O_OLc8%2F Being blinded by science is something of a preoccupation these days and so less than a year after dueling studies reached differing conclusions that oral bisphosphonates are linked to esophageal cancer, the FDA has weighed in and - for now - declared that no such risk exists. However, the agency cautiously noted no risk was found “at this time” and its review is ongoing. In reaching its preliminary decision, the FDA reviewed two epidemiologic studies - one reviewed the UK General Practice Research Database and found no increase in the risk of esophageal cancer (see this). The second study found a doubling of the risk among patients who had 10 or more prescriptions of the drugs, or who had taken the drugs over three years (read more here and here). The drugs, by the way, are use... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051241 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:48:39 +0100 5051241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984448&cid=t_108497_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fosteoporosis-treatment-with-bisphosphonates-is-exercise-good-or-dangerous%2F2011.06.30 My 86 year-old mother, who is generally in good health, slipped and fell recently and suffered a fractured femur. She was unfortunate to have suffered the accident, but had the good fortune to be discovered quickly, treated promptly and well by the paramedics who responded to her, and then to have a swift and skillful operation by an orthopedic surgeon to repair the fracture. Almost miraculously, she was standing upright (with a considerable amount of pain) the next day and had begun the rehabilitation process. At her age—indeed at any age—a fractured femur is a very significant injury. This past year, I have learned of friends and others who have suffered falls and broken their legs, ankles, or backs, as well as others who suffered “pathological fractures.” The latter group had th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984448 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4984448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902556&cid=t_108497_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FqyQ9VHauy60%2F These are my links for June 6th from 11:24 to 11:39: Vitamin D levels should be higher in people taking certain osteoporosis drugs, experts say – Vitamin D works with calcium to strengthen bones. But adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream also appear to boost the power of bisphosphonates, medications used to treat osteoporosis, according to research presented Monday. The study adds to the evidence that the current recommendations for vitamin D may be too low. Late last year, the Institute of Medicine issued a report that declined to make changes to the recommendation — despite many new studies supporting the need for more vitamin D than is typically consumed. In the new study, presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, researchers found that having a ci... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902556 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:00:05 +0100 4902556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309610&cid=t_108497_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftop-10-health-stories-of-2010%2F2011.01.04 1. Health care reform How could the health care reform legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010, not be the #1 story of the year?  Whether you are for or against it, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is nothing if not ambitious, and if implemented, it will fundamentally alter how American health care is financed and perhaps delivered.  The law is designed to patch holes in the health insurance system and extend coverage to 32 million Americans by 2019 while also reining in health care spending, which now accounts for more than 17% of the country’s gross domestic product. The biggest changes aren’t scheduled to occur until 2014, when most people will be required to have health insurance or pay a penalty (the so-called indiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309610 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:49 +0100 4309610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965696&cid=t_108497_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F4d1Gfj-MM7I%2F Six months after the FDA determined there is no link between bisphosphonates and thigh-bone fractures, a task force says otherwise. Convened by the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, the 26-person panel reviewed 310 cases of atypical femur fractures and found that 94 percent, or 291 patients, had taken the drugs, most for more than five years. This is the same task force report the FDA has been waiting to see before issuing recommendations (back story). The panel also found that more than a quarter of patients who experienced atypical femur fractures in one leg experienced a fracture in the other leg as well. On the other hand, the panel pointed out that atypical femur fractures represent less than one percent of hip and thigh fractures overall and therefore are very uncommon. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965696 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:05:33 +0100 3965696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552544&cid=t_108497_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FW504akoKAi4%2F The drugmaker lost a round in court when a New Jersey state judge denied a motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by a woman who claims the risks associated with the Zometa bone-strengthening drug were not disclosed properly or completely. The ruling suggests Novartis may now face a large number of trials - about 550 lawsuits are stacked up in federal court in Tennessee and 150 are queued up in New Jersey. In reaching her conclusion, Superior Court Judge Jessica Mayer determined that Jane Bessmer, who suffered from breast cancer and was treated with two intravenous bisphosphonates - Zometa and Aredia - sufficiently argued that Novartis may have failed to warn about the risks associated with the drugs. Bisphosphonates have been linked to osteonecrosis, which is the painful death o... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552544 Tue, 11 May 2010 13:24:52 +0100 3552544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441452&cid=t_108497_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2009%2F05%2F22%2Fwho-let-the-quacks-loose%2F I’ve done nothing but battle with crazy ass QUACKS this last two weeks. From the battle with SmartMoney.com to my letters to the editor, I’ve been a busy little bee! Pharmagirl10 brought this crap to my attention: One Doctor’s Quest to Cut Unneeded Treatments (Behold These Six Common Medical Procedures That Do No Patient Any Good) What happened to responsible journalism? What happened to not scaring the shit out of uneducated, not-all-of-them-are-f.ing-doctor Americans? You simply CANNOT tell patients this kind of stuff and expect them to not go jumping off a cliff. There is no such thing as a grain of salt. If it’s on ABC news, it’s fact. The average American is naive and actually believes in responsible journalism. They believe that articles like this have b... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441452 Fri, 22 May 2009 23:35:54 +0100 2441452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074390&cid=t_108497_136_f&fid=35294&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psa-rising.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fbisphosphonates%2F Recent stories on bisphosphonate side effects might be signaling the advent of a new, superior drug, but will Halozyme’s rHuPH20 enzyme solve the problem of jaw necrosis? Drug development companies operate within the overall consumer culture. We all want better drugs, better everything. Generic Fosamax (alendronate) now costs just $4 at Wal-Mart, Kroger and [...] (Source: psa-rising.com/blog) psa-rising.com/blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074390 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:40:48 +0100 2074390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074391&cid=t_108497_136_f&fid=35294&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psa-rising.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Ffosamax-linked-to-esophageal-cancer%2F Diane Wysowski of the FDA’s division of drug risk assessment says researchers should check into potential links between oral bisphosphonate drugs and cancer of the esophagus. Merck’s oral osteoporosis drug Fosamax may carry a risk for esophageal cancer, Wysowski writes in a letter to January I 2009 New England Journal of Medicine. Bisphosphonates are a class [...] (Source: psa-rising.com/blog) psa-rising.com/blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074391 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:41:27 +0100 2074391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790484&cid=t_108497_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F390987933%2F Next Tuesday, the struggling biotech releases data about denosumab, an experimental osteoporosis drug, and the data could make the difference between a multi-billion-dollar med and an also-ran in a crowded field. No small moment for a company that has staggered from setback to setback with its existing meds. “Denosumab is a mega-blockbuster opportunity and will now emerge as the principal long-term value driver,” Morgan Stanley analyst Steven Harr wrote in a recent research note, Reuters reports. “We see a high probability of regulatory success given data to date.” Two months ago, Amgen reported denosumab significantly reduced the risk of spine fracture in a three-year trial of 7,800 post-menopausal women, but never disclosed exactly how much the risk was reduced. T... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790484 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:02:46 +0100 1790484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316798&cid=t_108497_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F254860073%2F Researchers report that long-term use of its Fosamax osteoporosis drug is associated with unusual fractures of the thigh bone, HealthDay writes. The fractures were low-energy fractures, meaning that they all occurred from a fall from standing height or less, and the bone cracks were in an unusual horizontal pattern. About one-third of women with these types of fractures were on long-term therapy to prevent osteoporosis, and of these women, two-thirds were taking Fosamax for an average of more than seven years. Fifteen women were included in the analysis. The average time on Fosamax was 5.4 years before they experienced the unusual femur fracture. Of these 15, 10 women had similar, atypical fractures. These women had been taking Fosamax for an average of 7.3 years, while the remaining five... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316798 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:29:29 +0100 1316798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1134007&cid=t_108497_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F212705996%2F The agency is urging doctors to be on the lookout for the “possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle (musculoskeletal) pain” in patients taking a group of meds known as bisphosphonates. These include Merck’s Fosamax, Novartis’ Zometa and Reclast; Procter & Gamble’s Actonel and Boniva, which is marketed by Glaxo and Roche. Although severe musculoskeletal pain is included in the prescribing information for all bisphosphonates, the association between bisphosphonates and severe musculoskeletal pain may be overlooked by healthcare professionals, delaying diagnosis, prolonging pain and/or impairment, and necessitating the use of analgesics, the FDA cautions on its web site. The severe musculoskeletal pain may occur within da... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1134007 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:55:44 +0100 1134007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=511180&cid=t_108497_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F30%2Ffosamax-prevents-bone-loss-in-prostate-cancer-patients%2F Filed under: Prostate Cancer, Drug, Clinical Trials, ResearchHormonal therapy for prostate cancer can cause many side effects, one being bone loss. The goal of the hormonal therapy is to reduce the levels of the male hormones, called androgens, in the body. The main androgen is testosterone. Androgens can stimulate prostate cells to grow and lowering the levels often makes prostate cancer cells shrink or grow more slowly. The Annals of Internal Medicine published an article that says Fosamax (alendronate) can prevent and even reverse bone loss associated with hormonal treatment for prostate cancer. A trial was conducted that showed after one year bone density had increased among patients treated with Fosamax but had decreased among patients who received a placebo. If you are receiving hor... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=511180 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 511180