More checks needed for new arthritis drugs
Current regulatory policies should be strengthened to make sure new drugs for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) do not cause cardiovascular complications, a medical expert has said.
Dr Jeffrey Borer, an authority in cardiovascular medicine and surgery at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, stated that all new drugs for RA and other non-cardiovascular medical problems should be carefully assessed at an earlier stage to determine any possible cardiovascular complications.
In addition, Dr Borer revealed that he believes that regulatory bodies should have the power to demand ongoing evaluation of drug effects after approval for marketing.
"The importance of evaluating the cardiovascular safety of new drugs has been highlighted by recent examples of drugs - anti-arthritisdrugs and others - that were withdrawn from the market when unacceptable cardiovascular risks were discovered after regulatory approval," he explained.
"It is clear that drugs intended for non-cardiovascular problems must be more fully scrutinised than in the past in order to allow doctors and patients to be assured that risks are well defined and that they do not outweigh the benefits."
In cases where the treatment is likely to be used by people who have relatively high cardiovascular risk - such as with arthritis medication - Dr Borer argued that at least one study of the drug's beneficial effects should be carried out among at risk patients.
An Arthritis Research Campaign spokeswoman concurred with Dr Borer's views. "All drugs have side effects, but we need to be sure that patients with arthritis are not subjected to unnecessary risks from painkilling medication," she added.
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