Raptiva FDA Warning
Raptiva has been an extremely prevalent medication in recent years in the United States for the purpose of treating psoriasis, which is a disease of the skin for which there is no known cause or cure at this time. Therefore, these sorts of medications have generally presented the best option in terms of helping patients manage the disease in order to make it more tolerable, as psoriasis can be very painful.
Raptive for Psoriasis
Raptiva was formulated by the pharmaceutical giant Genentech, and it was originally approved for marketing, sale and distribution in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003. Since then, it’s been widely used, as it’s estimated that as many as 7.5 million people in the United States suffer from some form of psoriasis.
It’s administered via an injection under the skin, and typically, the patient receives one injection per week in order to maintain the proper amount of medication in his or her system. Raptiva works by helping to lower the resistance of the patient’s immune system, as the body will instinctively activate this system to help fight psoriasis, but this reaction will actually exacerbate the situation.
Raptive Side Effect Problems
Unfortunately, recent reports have surfaced in which patients have complained of the following symptoms while using Raptiva:
- Fever or chills
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Congestion or other signs of infection
- Redness, pain, or swelling of a skin wound
- Burning or difficult urination
Making matters worse, these symptoms have been found to potentially lead Raptiva users to develop the following conditions as a result of using this medication:
- Bacterial sepsis
- Viral meningitis
- Invasive fungal disease
- Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
Specifically, one report seems to have prompted the FDA into action. It was the case of a 70-year-old man who had been using Raptiva for four years, or almost since the date it was originally approved for use. He developed a case of PML, which is a viral condition that attacks the brain progressively, and he ultimately was killed as a result.
In reaction to these reports, the FDA has recently issued a public alert that’s designed to help provide notice to medical professionals and the public at large. In furtherance of this notice, the FDA will now require a warning label to be affixed to every container of Raptiva that warns of the potential for these side effects.
Your Next Steps
If you have been using Raptiva and are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately to schedule a full evaluation. If you or someone you love has been harmed because of Raptiva, you should also contact a defective drugs attorney to schedule a free initial consultation. You may have legal rights and options available, but you need the knowledge that your attorney can provide before making a decision regarding how you should move forward.
Other Defective Drug Topics
- Accutane
- Actavis
- ACE Inhibitors
- Ambien
- Anesthetic Creams
- Aranesp
- Aredia
- Avandia
- Bard Avaulta Mesh
- Bayer Diabetes Care Contour Test Strips
- Botox
- Byetta
- Carbamazepine
- Cefepime
- Celebrex
- Cialis
- Cipro
- Children's Cough and Cold Medication
- Colchicine
- Crestor
- Cytotec
- Depakote
- Dietary Supplements
- Digitek
Begin your case review by filling out the form below or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at
1-888-775-3779
Fill out our free case review form including all contact information and as many details about your case as possible.
Relax. Our qualified legal staff is reviewing your case information.
You will be contacted by a member of our legal staff within 24 hours of submitting your information. They will review your case details with you and walk you through the rest of the legal process.
Partnerships and Trial Lawyer Associations - Lawyers in our law firm and lawyers in our affiliated law firms
are proud members of many organizations and associations dedicated to seeking justice for the American people.
Send to a Friend
Print This Page
Add to Favorites