Health News from Reuters
Back to previous page
Back to health news main page
FDA warns of pneumonia risk with antibiotic
Last Updated: 2010-07-29 15:45:13 -0400 (Reuters Health)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials warned Thursday about the risk of pneumonia with the antibiotic Cubicin from Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The Food and Drug Administration said patients treated with the intravenous antibiotic Cubicin may develop what's called eosinophilic pneumonia, which causes a potentially fatal accumulation of white blood cells in the lungs.
Doctors should closely monitor patients for symptoms, including fever, cough and breathing difficulty, the FDA said in a notice on its website. In seven cases reported between 2004 and 2010, symptoms eased or resolved after use of Cubicin was stopped.
The FDA said it also found 36 possible cases of eosinophilic pneumonia in patients given Cubicin. The drug is approved for treating various bacterial infections.
The FDA said it asked Cubist to put information about the risk in the warnings section of the drug's prescribing instructions. The issue had been mentioned in a less prominent section of the drug label since 2007, the agency said.
A company spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Back to previous page
Back to health news main page
Copyright © 2001-2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.