Plaque psoriasis drug 'may carry risk of serious disease'
18 Nov 2008
A drug used to treat the skin condition plaque psoriasis may carry an increased risk of developing a serious disease of the central nervous system, it has emerged.
Genentech said the risk associated with the drug Raptiva may be further increased by its prolonged use in older patients.
The company said it is working with the US Food and Drug Administration to determine the next course of action and has written to dermatologists and neurologists in the country to inform them of the death of a second Raptiva patient who had progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).
Hal Barron, Genentech's senior vice-president of development and chief medical officer, said "it is important to inform healthcare providers of this second reported case in a Raptiva-treated patient, so that physicians and their patients are equipped to make informed treatment decisions".
The company advised any individuals taking Raptiva to ensure they speak to their doctors before making any decision to change or stop their treatment.
Meanwhile, Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals have announced that data from a phase-three study has shown the drug Tarceva significantly increased the length of time non-small cell lung cancer patients lived without their cancer getting worse.
