After several actions by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to alert physicians about reports of a rare and deadly neurological disorder developing in patients treated with efalizumab for psoriasis, the drug's maker is voluntarily removing the drug from the market, according to an announcement by the FDA (http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW01992.html).
The phased withdrawal will be completed by June 8, 2009. In the meantime, the agency advises against prescribing the drug for new patients and urges physicians to immediately begin transitioning patients to other therapies.
In February, after receiving reports of 4 cases (3 of which were fatal) of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in patients taking efalizumab, the agency issued a public health advisory warning patients and physicians of this risk.
The agency said that the risk of PML for individual patients taking efalizumab is low and likely related to long-term use, but noted there is no known effective treatment for the disorder, which often leads to an irreversible decline in neurological function and death.
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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