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In the July issue of Prescrire International: The adverse effects of the cytotoxic temsirolimus and the opioid pholcodine

FREE DOWNLOAD In the Adverse Effects section of this issue, the cardiac risks of the cytotoxic immunosuppressant temsirolimus, used in metastatic renal cell carcinoma and mantle cell lymphoma, and the harms caused by the opioid pholcodine, still present in many cough suppressants.
Full text available for free download.

Temsirolimus: risk of myocardial infarction

  • The risk of myocardial infarction is another addition to temsirolimus's already long list of adverse effects.
     
  • This risk is not mentioned (as of 7 June 2017) in either the EU SPC or patient leaflet for sirolimus, despite adverse effects that are largely shared by temsirolimus and sirolimus.

Pholcodine: anaphylactic reactions to neuromuscular blockers

  • Pholcodine is still available in many cough suppressants.
     
  • Despite the known harms of a drug that is not useful, health authorities and pharmaceutical companies have not taken a decision to withdraw pholcodine from the market in order to protect patients.
     
  • Faced with this dangerous inertia, it is up to healthcare professionals to protect patients by routinely avoiding the use of pholcodine and offering better solutions.
     

Full texts available for free download.

 ©Prescrire 1 July 2017

Prescrire Int 2017; 26 (184): 187. (Pdf, free)
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