Bone-Loss Drugs May Raise Risk of Thigh Break, Researchers Say - BusinessWeek

Bone-Loss Drugs May Raise Risk of Thigh Break, Researchers Say - BusinessWeek: "Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Drugs to prevent bone loss, including Merck & Co.’s Fosamax, Roche Holding AG’s Boniva, and Novartis AG’s Reclast, may be linked to an increased risk of fractures to the thigh bone, researchers said.

As many as 94 percent of 310 patients who had an uncommon type of fracture to the thigh bone were also taking one of the bone-loss drugs called bisphosphonates, according a report released today by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Most had taken the medicine for more than five years.

The drugs are used to treat osteoporosis, which leaves bones weak and more likely to break. U.S. regulators should add an update on the potential link to the drugs’ prescribing information and study their long-term safety, the researchers said.