Merck's popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax and other similar drugs may carry a risk for esophageal cancer, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said on Wednesday. Diane Wysowski of the FDA's division of drug risk assessment said researchers should check into potential links between so-called bisphosphonate drugs and cancer. In a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, Wysowski said since the initial marketing of Fosamax, known generically as alendronate, in 1995, the FDA has received 23 reports in which patients developed esophageal tumors. Typically, two years lapsed between the start of the drug and the development of esophageal cancer. Eight patients died, she reported. In Europe and Japan, 21 cases involving Fosamax have been logged, as well as six instances where Procter & Gamble's Actonel or risedronate and Didronel or etidronate, and Roche's Boniva or ibandronate may have been involved. Six of those people died.
In addition, Wysowski said, doctors should avoid prescribing the drugs to people with Barrett's esophagus, which is a change in the lining that leads to the stomach. It is often found in people with acid reflux disease and itself increases the risk of cancer.
Steve - the hits just keep coming for this class of drugs.
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