Raptiva withdrawn due to causing serious injury including PML to patients who use it

Pharmaceutical company Genentech Inc. is recalling the defective drug Raptiva, which is used to treat psoriasis because of the drug's links to a fatal brain infection, according to a news report in the San Francisco Chronicle. This voluntary drug recall from San Francisco-based Genentech comes six months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated labeling for the drug to warn consumers about Raptiva's links to a rare nervous system disorder called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy or PML. So far, there are three known confirmed fatal cases of PML in patients taking Raptiva. One other patient who was taking the drug developed similar neurological symptoms and died of an unknown cause, FDA officials said.

The makers of Zicam Cold Remedy products blamed for causing nearly 1,000 people to lose their senses of smell have officially begun the process of recalling the products from store shelves.  If you have experienced loss of smell due to use of Zicam products, call Parilman & Associates for information on your rights.

A week after the Food and Drug Administration announced it has received 130 reports since 1999 of Zicam users losing their ability to smell, Matrixx Initiatives of Scottsdale, Ariz. has now notified retail stores, wholesalers, and distributors of the recall of Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs products. The stores are being asked to stop selling the products.