FDA: eczema drugs could cause cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday recommended cautious prescription of the two &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/printed.html?news_id=10146 ' target=_blank>eczema drugs Elidel and Protopic because of the possibility of cancer. The two drugs, which work on the skin disease eczema through suppressing the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/2000/09/29/21.html ' target=_blank>immune system, will receive new label warnings that their use may lead to increased risk of cancer. The FDA recommended short-term and intermittent use of the drugs for eczema patients as the last option, and in a lowest possible amount, saying "the long-term safety of these products is unknown." The agency stressed that children under two years old and others with a weakened or compromised immune system should not use the drugs, reports Xinhuanet. According to Reuters, in February members of an FDA advisory panel said they were concerned the companies were aggressively advertising the medicines to treat infants and others with skin problems the creams are not approved to treat. Elidel, known generically as pimecrominum, and Protopic known generically as tacrolimus, should be used only as directed and only after other eczema treatments have failed to work because of the risk, the FDA said. Since the FDA approved Protopic in 2000 and Elidel in 2001, seven cases of lymphoma and six skin cancer cases have been reported in patients, the FDA said. Animal tests have suggested the creams could cause &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/fun/2001/11/19/21384.html ' target=_blank>cancer, the FDA added. "The manufacturers of the products have agreed to conduct research to determine whether there is an actual risk of cancer in humans, and, if so, its extent," the FDA said. "Both products are applied to the skin to control eczema by suppressing the immune system. FDA's Public Health Advisory specifically advises physicians to weigh the risks and benefits of these drugs in adults and children," the agency added. NR

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