FDA orders suicidal action warning on epilepsy drugs
December 16th, 2008
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Makers of epilepsy drugs must add a warning that the medicines carry a risk of suicidal thoughts or actions, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.
“The risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior was generally consistent among the eleven drugs analyzed and was observed in patients who were treated for epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, and other conditions,” the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement on its website.
Epilepsy drugs include Pfizer Inc’s Lyrica and Neurontin, GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Lamictal and Johnson & Johnson’s Topamax.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Maureen Bavdek)
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