Dangerous Drugs - Zometa
Zometa (the brand name for zoledronic acid) is a biphosphonate that is used to help patients with certain cancers (such as prostate cancer and multiple myeloma) avoid skeletal fractures. Zometa is sometimes also used to prevent too much calcium from collecting in tumors and also to treat osteoporosis. The safety of Zometa for non-tumor-related conditions has not been established. For cancer patients, Zometa is administered intravenously over a period of 15 minutes every 3-4 weeks. For osteoporosis patients, Zometa is administered once each year.
Because Zometa is processed in the kidneys, it can be extremely harmful for patients with kidney disease or reduced renal function. It has also been shown to cause serious liver damage, even at the prescribed dosage, in patients with no prior indication of liver problems.
Additionally, there may be some connection between Zometa and osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), or "dead jaw," for cancer patients being treated with Zometa, particularly those also receiving chemotherapy, which is also an ONJ risk factor. ONJ develops when there is a temporary loss of blood to the tissue of the bone. This causes the bone tissue to die and the bone to eventually collapse. Most often, ONJ becomes apparent when a patient undergoes dental work, such as a tooth extraction.
If administered to a pregnant woman, Zometa can cause serious harm to the fetus. Preliminary studies of Zometa on pregnant rats indicated that the drug causes fetal loss, decreases the chance of a viable fetus, and can cause serious malformations of the fetus' skeletal, visceral, and external development.
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