New warning for a psoriasis drug has a familiar (and deadly) ring to it
New warning for a psoriasis drug has a familiar (and deadly) ring to it
Psoriasis patients may be having déjà vu all over again.
Last month, the FDA issued a new warning about the psoriasis drug Raptiva. Three long- term Raptiva users recently died from complications linked to a rare brain infection called PML.
According to HealthDay News, “outside experts” say that this news is serious, but they add: There’s no reason to panic. Do you get the feeling none of those experts probably take Raptiva?
This FDA action might sound like recycled news because just three months ago the FDA announced that Raptiva would receive a boxed warning to “highlight the risks of life- threatening infections,” including bacterial sepsis, viral meningitis, invasive fungal disease, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (also known as – yep – PML).
You don’t really need to be a medical microbiologist to figure out what’s going on here. Psoriasis is an immune system dysfunction. Raptiva prevents psoriasis outbreaks by suppressing the immune system. And that’s the drug industry in microcosm: Figure out how to treat a single aspect of a single disorder, and don’t worry your pretty little head about what the drug might do to the rest of the complex biological system you call your body.
You can read more about Raptiva dangers and non-drug alternative treatments for psoriasis in the e-Alert “Tunnel Ahead” (12/8/08).
Sources:
“FDA Warns Users on Psoriasis Drug” Amanda Gardner, HealthDay News, 2/19/09, healthday.com
