Bisphosphonate Use Falls Following FDA Warnings Save

In the current issue of JBMR, Kim and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston assessed US claims data and studied the impact of three FDA drug safety warnings regarding the use of bisphosphonates. These warnings appeared in 2005 (regarding osteonecrosis of the jaw), 2007 (atrial fibrillation) and in 2010 (atypical fractures of the femur).

Specifically, they calculated the proportion of patients in each quarter who received a bisphosphonate in the 6 months following hospitalization for a hip fracture. They examined the records of 22,598 hip fracture patients seen from 2004 to 2013 and found that bisphosphonate use decreased from 15 percent in 2004 to 3 percent in 2013.

Prior to the 2007 announcement, it appears such patients had a 4 percent increase in the odds of bisphosphonate.  After the 2007 announcement, a 4 percent decrease in the odds of bisphosphonate use was seen.

These data reflect the prevalent concerns about bisphosphonate use, especially in those who need such therapy.  Moreover, the impact of FDA warnings on common therapies has proven to be impactful.