Personal Injury Law

FDA announces withdrawal of propoxyphene

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has suggested that makers of propoxyphene voluntarily withdraw the product from stores due to the medicine's potentially dangerous side effects.

Data has shown that propoxyphene users are at risk for developing arrhythmia, a condition of irregular heartbeats that can cause serious health problems including sudden death.

Propoxyphene is prescribed as a mild pain reliever to treat chronic pain resulting from conditions like arthritis. It is sold under the brand names Darvocet and Darvon, but also a number of generic names. It is one of the top 40 most used drugs with millions of prescriptions being filled each year.

The FDA says that considering the risks, the limited benefits do not justify the use of the drug.

Propoxyphene has been under scrutiny for years, with some groups advocating its removal from the market over concerns about unintentional overdose. The United Kingdom withdrew it from the market in 2005 and a European-wide withdrawal began last year.

One of the FDA's goals is to protect consumers from dangerous defective drugs. Other recent examples of drugs that have come under heavy scrutiny are Prempro, Avandia and Trasylol. If you feel that you or a loved one have been injured by unexpected side effects of a certain medication and you want to discuss your legal rights, consult a St. Louis personal injury attorney with dangerous drug litigation experience.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on November 21, 2010 (boomark / email).