Diabetics who use becaplermin gel (marketed as Regranex) have a new warning to be aware of. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a black box warning for this product due to safety concerns. A recent study found that those who have used more than 3 tubes of the gel have a 5-fold increase in the risk of dying from cancer, comopared to those who have never used the gel. Regranex is used to treat certain types of diabetic ulcers. Physicians are urged to report Regranex-related events to the FDA. As well, this message should be passed on to any diabetics you know. Full story.
June 13, 2008
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.