Home Page >> Feature Articles >> Off-label use of Amiodarone may be dangerous

November 4, 2009. By LAS Newswire

Silver Spring, MD: According to the FDA, one in five U.S. doctors who write prescriptions from common use drugs do so for off-label use, which is what has allegedly occurred with the irregular heartbeat medication Amiodarone.

It has been reported that lawsuits have been filed against Wyeth and other drug makers for marketing drugs like Amiodarone for off-label use. Though it is not illegal for medications to be used for different purposes, it is illegal for drug companies to market their medications for such use, the Los Angeles Times reports.

While people suffering from irregular heartbeats may be prescribed Amiodarone, those who take if for another condition may have an increased risk with the drug's side effects.

Amiodarone has been associated with causing problems in the lungs, thyroid, eye, liver and skin. Some patients who have taken Amiodarone have been found to be more sensitive to the effects of UVA light, which can cause skin cancer with overexposure.

Recently, international drug maker Pfizer acquired Wyeth for $68 billion, which has reportedly led to high gains in Pfizer's stock.

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