FDA Announces Safety Review of FosaMax, Boniva Class of Drugs

Courtney Mills

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The FDA released an 'early communication' to the public of an ongoing safety review regarding the drug class bisphosphonates due to potential atrial fibrillation with the use of this class of drug. The agency has requested that further data be obtained in order to assay the merits of the tendency.

Bisphosphonates are a class of drug prescribed by physicians to treat osteoporosis. These medications are sold on the market under the brand names Fosamax, Actonel, Reclast, and Boniva, and they retard the rate of bone thinning in adult men and women. These drugs also reduce the likelihood of suffering from broken bones.

The FDA made this announcement after a study in the New England Journal of Medicine this spring revealed more cases of serious atrial fibrillation associated with older female patients treated with Fosamax or Reclast than those treated with a placebo.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.