NEWS - FDA will review Fosamax, Boniva for safety

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FDA Will Review Fosamax, Boniva for Safety

11 Mar 2010.

By JENNIFER CORBETT DOOREN

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it's conducting a

safety review of certain bone-building drugs like Fosamax and Boniva

to see if they increase the risk of femur fractures.

The review involves a class of drugs known as bisphosphonates, which

are commonly prescribed to treat osteoporosis and are designed to

build bone mass. Drugs in the class include Actonel, marketed by

Sanofi Aventis SA and Procter & Gamble Co.; Boniva, marketed by Roche

Holding AG and GlaxoKline PLC; and Merck & Co.'s Fosamax.

The agency said it was looking at reports about whether there's an

increased risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures—fractures

in the bone just below the hip joint—in some patients who've been on

the drugs for several years.

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Read the full article here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703976804575114181349999398.html

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