In bone drug quandary, FDA seeks panel's advice on safety, 'drug holidays'
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
The US FDA has been grappling with how to balance the benefits of drugs like Merck's Fosamax (alendronate), Warner Chilcott's Actonel (risedronate), Novartis' Reclast (zoledronic acid) and Roche's Boniva (ibandronate), in treating and preventing osteoporosis against those medicines' potential risks of atypical femur fractures, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and oesophageal cancer.