New medicine labels coming

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The labels that are on osteoporosis medications soon likely will include information about how long a consumer can take the medicine before health risks might appear.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel last September recommended the changes, and FDA typically follows the panel’s recommendations.

Problems that are linked to long-term use of osteoporosis medication include death of the jawbone, esophageal cancer and thigh-bone fractures. Researchers who were questioned by the advisory panel say such cases are rare and typically set in after a period of as long as 10 years. But the severity of the risks prompted the panel to recommend adding that information to the label anyway.

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