Zometa ® is a type of drug known as bisphosphonates. Recently a link has been found between bisphosphonates and a serious bone disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). This important discovery clearly shows that Zometa ® side effects may include osteonecrosis of the jaw.
The discovery, published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, prompted both the US, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Novartis, the manufacturer of bisphosphonates used in cancer chemotherapy, to issue a warning to health care professionals on September 24, 2004. The warning letter contained information about bisphosphonates and the risks of osteonecrosis in the jaw.
Bisphosphonates are commonly used in tablet form such as Fosamax ® (Alendronate Sodium) to prevent and treat osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Stronger forms of bisphosphonates are commonly used in the management of advanced cancers that have metastasized to the bone, where the disease often causes bone pain and possibly even fractures. Several cancers can involve or metastasize to the bone, including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and others. When bisphosphonates are given in cancer chemotherapy, the drugs,such as Zometa ® and Aredia ®,are given intravenously, and usually for longer periods of time.