Bisphosphonates
April 30, 2007
Prostrate cancer patients should recommended Fosamax
It’s hard to believe with all the problems facing Fosamax users that the drug is now recommended for prostrate cancer patients. The reason given is that hormonal therapy for prostate cancer can cause many side effects including 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 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.
Before taking any drug, be sure weigh the benefits and the risks.
Source: http://www.topcancernews.com/news/760/1/Prostate-cancer-patients-should-use-Fosamax
Posted by Michael Monheit at 08:07 AM | Permalink
March 16, 2007
Fosamax and the FDA
The problems with FDA and Merck regards Fosamax date back 10 years. For example, in July 1997, (see NDA: 20-560), Merck was advised that its marketing tactics for Fosamax contained false information about osteoporosis and that Merck was overstating the population eligible for therapy with Fosamax.
So it seems that selling the drug was more important than getting the facts right.
DDMAC (FDA's division for marketing) ordered Merck to stop the dissemination of this false information.
Posted by Michael Monheit at 01:26 PM | Permalink
January 10, 2007
Does your doctor actually know how much Fosamax costs?
A recent study published in the American Journal of Managed Care (November 2006) revealed that physicians and patients rarely talk about how much prescription medicines will cost. (Read more)
Posted by Michael Monheit at 12:52 PM | Permalink
December 13, 2006
Treating Osteoporosis
To treat osteoporosis, millions of Americans take oral bisphosphonate drugs, a class of drugs that includes alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel) and others. Estimates indicate about 20 cases of osteonecrosis may occur in a year in this large group of people.
Posted by Michael Monheit at 06:42 AM | Permalink
Actonel prevents hip fractures better than Fosamax
A recent study of over 33,000 postmenopausal women showed that among patients newly prescribed one of the two most popular osteoporosis treatments, patients taking Actonel (risedronate sodium) were approximately half as likely to
sustain a hip fracture as those taking alendronate (Fosamax) in the first year
of treatment. These Actonel and Fosamax results were published in the peer-reviewed
journal Osteoporosis International.
Posted by Michael Monheit at 06:42 AM | Permalink
