Raptiva Recall Attorneys

Raptiva Recall

The San Francisco-based company Genentech Inc. issued a recall of the psoriasis drug Raptiva on April 8, 2009, after the FDA and the European Medicines Agency had recommended that the drug be pulled from shelves.

The downfall of Raptiva has been swift and public – probably because the Raptiva side effect that led to the Raptiva recall – a degenerative neurological condition called Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) – is a stunning and often fatal disease of the central nervous system.

Here's a brief timeline leading up to the Raptiva recall:

2003 - San Francisco-based Genentech Inc. develops Raptiva as a treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis. After being approved by the FDA, the drug is prescribed to 2000 patients in the U.S. and another 46,000 plus around the globe.

October 2008 – after an elderly man develops Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy while on Raptiva, Genentech Inc. consults with the FDA and puts out what's known as a black box label on the medication, warning of side effects such as PML and bacterial and fungal infections.

December 2008 – Genentech Inc. reports that Raptiva earned the company nearly $110 million for the year.

February 2009 – the European Medicines Agency urges that a Efalizumab recall across Europe be put into effect

March 2009 – Genentech Inc. puts out a new medication guide for Raptiva patients. Genentech Inc. is bought out by Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical conglomerate, in a deal that totaled almost $50 billion.

April 2009 – On April 8, 2009, Raptiva is recalled and the drug is ordered to be pulled from shelves in the U.S.

June 2009 – June 8, 2009 is the set date for the final removal of all recalled Raptiva medications from U.S. shelves.

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