FDA links once-promising pain drugs to bone decay
Some of the world’s largest drugmakers will face an uphill battle next week in their bid to revive a class of experimental arthritis drugs that have been sidelined by safety concerns for nearly two years.
The Food and Drug Administration says there is a clear association between the nerve-blocking medications and incidents of joint failure that led the agency to halt studies of the drugs in 2010.
However, the agency also notes that those side effects were less common when the drugs were used at lower doses, potentially leaving the door open for future use. The agency released its safety analysis ahead of a public meeting.
On Monday Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron will make their case to continue studies of the drugs, with precautions to protect patients.