Late one night, I was watching television and that commercial with Sally Fields appeared advertising some drug called “Boniva.” I got a little curious because just earlier that morning a friend mentioned to me that she may be experiencing adverse effects from taking Boniva. To be quite honest, I wasn’t really paying close attention to the content of her message, as I was more occupied with other household activities. However, I did remember the name of the drug and how it might be affecting her. As a result, I did a little digging and this is what I found.

Boniva (ibandronate) is made by Roche laboratories and comes in two forms, pill and injectable. Boniva is a member of the drug class bisphosphonates that also includes Actonel (risedronate), Fosamax (alendronate), Fosamax Plus D (alendronate), Skelid (tiludronate) and Didronel (etidronate). For those of you who are no chemistry majors (myself included), you should know that Bisphosphonates were primarily used in laundry soaps, fertilizers and as corrosion preventatives. It is important to understand how your body reacts with Boniva and other bisphosphonates. The main function of these drugs is to prevent loss of bone density. Unfortunately, it also stunts formation of healthy osteophytes, leading to prevention in new bone growth. In addition, bisphosphonates remain in your system as minerals and the long term effects are still unknown.

Since 2003, millions of Americans have taken Boniva and other similar drugs. This is raising concerns with dentists because of one particular Boniva side effect - Dead Jaw. Dead Jaw, also called Osteonecrosis, is a disfiguration that happens when bone tissue in the jaw fails to heal after relatively common dental procedures such as extractions, root canals and crowns. Most often jaw trauma from the dental work, or other mouth injuries, opens the door to potential jaw infections causing deterioration and decay. There are also other side effects that are associated with Boniva and they include stomach problems, rashes, difficulty breathing, back pain, pain in the extremities, muscle pain, diarrhea, high cholesterol, headaches, joint pains, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis and urinary tract infections.

Although these other ancillary side effects may be actionable, Dead Jaw seems to be the major side effect cited in legal action. In fact, many individuals who are victims of Boniva’s side effects have filed lawsuits citing this serious problem. At this time, Boniva is still a highly popular drug and doctors continue to prescribe it to patients. Furthermore, Roche continues to manufacture and advertise Boniva to their dedicated consumers (or soon to be victims), while generating millions of dollars each year.

In your best interest, I heavily recommend those of you who have been affected to seek medical assistance to determine if you have suffered adverse medical conditions. Also, seek a competent attorney to understand your legal rights concerning this matter.

 For More Information: Boniva Lawsuit and Side Effect Information

***DISCLAIMER: The content provided is not intended to be construed as legal advice. If you have any questions or concerns, based on your factual circumstances, please contact Richard Y. Cheng, Esq. with Pearson, Randall, Schumacher & LaBore, P.A. (612)767-7500 or rcheng@prslegal.com***