September 10, 2002 - New York Times: Added Warning for Malaria Drug

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: Peace Corps Headlines - 2002: 09 September 2002 Peace Corps Headlines: September 10, 2002 - New York Times: Added Warning for Malaria Drug

By Admin1 (admin) on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 4:23 pm: Edit Post

Added Warning for Malaria Drug





Read and comment on this story from the New York Times that says that Roche, the maker of a popular malaria-prevention drug, prescribed to thousands of U.S. travelers and military personnel, has placed a notice on the label of the drug that says "Rare cases of suicidal ideation and suicide have been reported though no relationship to drug administration has been confirmed."

Lariam is the most effective anti-malarial drug known and has been used by thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers over the past ten years. However, the drug's potential side effects are rarely reported and include agitation, depression and aggression.

Read the story at:


Labeling: Added Warning for Malaria Drug*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Labeling: Added Warning for Malaria Drug

By ERIC NAGOURNEY

The maker of a widely used antimalaria drug, Lariam, says it will notify doctors about reports of a link between the drug and suicide.

The manufacturer, Roche Pharmaceuticals, defended the safety of the drug but said it wanted to alert doctors about changes in the label.

The label says, "Rare cases of suicidal ideation and suicide have been reported though no relationship to drug administration has been confirmed."

A spokesman for Roche, Terence J. Hurley, said the company had changed the label after months of discussions between Roche and the Food and Drug Administration.

Lariam, generically mefloquine, has been used for 17 years to treat and prevent malaria. More than 25 million people around the world have taken it, the company said.

Mr. Hurley said there was no scientific evidence of a link between Lariam and suicide or suicidal thoughts, although Lariam, like other medications, could cause side effects.

Lariam's label has had a warning about the risk of neuropsychiatric problems since 1989, when the F.D.A. approved it for use in the United States, Mr. Hurley said. Those problems include agitation, depression and aggression. On the new label, the warning has been been revised and made more prominent.

Last month, officials said that medical experts were being sent to Fort Bragg, N.C., to study unusual domestic killings on the base and that they would look at Lariam to see whether it had played a role.

The drug is widely used by military personnel sent to regions where malaria is a problem.



Click on a link below for more stories on PCOL

Help the New Peace Corps Bill pass CongressFor the Peace Corps Fallen
Senator Dodd holds Hearings on New Peace Corps LegislationThe Debate over the Peace Corps Fund
Why the Peace Corps needs a Fourth GoalThe Peace Corps 40th plus one
The Case for Peace Corps IndependenceThe Controversy over Lariam
The Peace Corps and Homeland SecurityDirector Vasquez meets with RPCVs
RPCV Congressmen support Peace Corps' autonomyPeace Corps Expansion:  The Numbers Game?
When should the Peace Corps return to Afghanistan?Peace Corps Cartoons
RPCV Character on new Fox SitcomBush and JFK



Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Special Reports - Larium; Peace Corps - Safety and Security

PCOL937
16

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: