Elidel, Protopic, and Cancer

This story is starting to hit the mainstream press.

I wouldn't wan't to be holding stock in Fujisawa chemical (or Novartis) right now.

Isn't it suprising how long it took? The letter went out to physicians 2/24, according to the articles and I posted on it on 2/25 (ed- it is always about you isn't it?) in what was my 3rd day of blogging. I found about it because I'm always on top of things because a parent faxed it to our clinic.

Don't news organization employ doctors or people to look at the FDA website occasionally?

I don't think the risk is actually that high (there were 5 million prescriptions and 13 cases of cancer, although it is a passive reporting system so the true incidence is probably higher) but this is the death of these medications. Given that steroid creams have modest side effects and work as well or better, who is going to keep using these?

I know I'm not recommending them anymore.

UPDATE: there were articles in the mainstream media about the FDA looking at safety in early February, but I didn't see anything about the FDA warning until today.