Associated Press, "FDA says 3 deaths associated with Genentech Raptiva drug"
Three patients taking a Genentech drug are believed to have died of a rare brain infection, a known risk with the skin-clearing treatment, according to federal health officials. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday confirmed three cases and a possible fourth of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, which causes swelling of the brain and is usually fatal. All the cases were reported in the last six months. The FDA announcement came the same day that European Union regulators recommended a ban on marketing the drug. The European Medicines Agency stated "the benefits of Raptiva no longer outweigh its risks, because of safety concerns." The drug is marketed in Europe by Swiss drugmaker Merck Serono. First approved in 2003, Raptiva is a once-a-week injection used to treat red, scaly skin caused by psoriasis. Learn more about dangerous Raptiva side effects.