Saturday, March 08, 2008

Drug to treat excess iron in blood may cause liver problems: Health Canada

From the Canadian Press:
Health Canada is updating safety information for a drug used to treat chronic iron overload from blood transfusions after reports of severe, even potentially fatal, liver problems in some people using the medication.

Exjade (deferasirox), made by Novartis, is used to treat excess iron accumulation in the blood following transfusions for anemia in adults, adolescents and children aged six and over. Children under six cannot be adequately treated with the drug.

Cases of severe liver problems - some causing death - have been reported internationally following Exjade's approval for widespread use in various countries, including Canada.

As of Oct. 31, 2007, almost 37,000 patients have been treated with Exjade worldwide. In all, there have been 24 reports of liver failure - two of them in Canada. Most of these cases involved patients that already had multiple medical conditions, including liver disease (cirrhosis) and multiple organ failure. ...more

Exjade warning from Health Canada for health professionals

Exjade warning from Health Canada for the public

No comments: