PARIS, Feb 6 (APM) - French independent prescribing guide, Prescrire has added four new drugs to its list of 71 described as “more dangerous than useful” - including multiple sclerosis drugs from Biogen and Sanofi, a novel gout treatment and a cardiovascular agent from Daiichi. They are:

:: Biogen Idec’s multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment Tysabri (natalizumab) on risk of serious opportunistic infections

:: Daiichi Sankyo/Alteis, Menarini’s Olmetec blood pressure drug, (olmesartan and combinations including olmersartan) on an excess of adverse events in comparison with other drugs in the same therapeutic class

:: Crealta Pharmaceuticals’ gout treatment Krystexxa (pegloticase) on adverse events “out of all proportion” to its effectiveness

:: Sanofi’s MS treatment Aubagio (teriflunomide) on serious adverse events, sometimes fatal.

The 2015 list covers drugs marketed in France that were the subject of analysis by the editorial staff between 2010 and 2014. Prescrire points out that none of the drugs it considers “dangerous” was withdrawn from the market in 2014 so all the drugs that featured in the list in 2014 remain on the 2015 list, with two exceptions: Novartis’ Xolair (omalizumab) in asthma under analysis by the guide in its indication extension in urticaria, and Roche’s treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Esbriet (pirfenidone), currently being updated.

Prescrire says there are several drugs it has not added to its list, but apparently might have done so

:: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) diclofenac and aceclofenac, because the guide is currently drafting a summary on their cardiovascular adverse events

:: antidepressants, citalopram and escitalopram, suspected of prolonging the QT interval, because a summary of all serotonin reuptake inhibitors is also being drafted

Following the update of early 2015, here is Prescrire’s list of drugs that are “more dangerous than useful” presented by therapeutic area:

:: Neovil Biotech’s Removab (catumaxomab)
:: Amgen’s Vectibix (panitumumab)
:: Pharma Mar’s Yondelis (trabectedin)
:: AstraZeneca’s Caprelsa (vandetanib)
:: Pierre Fabre’s Javlor (vinflunine)

:: Novartis’ Rasilez (aliskiren)
:: fenofibrate, bezafibrate and ciprofibrate
:: Servier’s Procoralan (ivabradine)
:: nicorandil
:: olmesartan
:: trimetazidine

:: Astellas’ Protopic (tacrolimus)
:: Pierre Fabre’s Primalan (mequitazine)
:: Famel’s Phenergan (promethazine)

:: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors: Boehringer Ingelheim’s Trajenta (linagliptin) and combinations, AstraZeneca’s Onglyza (saxagliptin) and combinations, Merck Sharp & Dohme’s Januvia (sitagliptin) and combinations, and Novartis’ Galvus (vildagliptin) and combinations

:: Roche’s Xenical (orlistat)

:: coxibs: Pfizer’s Celebrex (celecoxib), Grunenthal’s Arcoxia (etoricoxib) and Pfizer’s Dynastat (parecoxib)
:: Menarini’s Ketum (ketoprofen gel) and generic versions
:: piroxicam
:: Amgen’s Prolia (denosumab)
:: Servier’s Protelos (strontium ranelate)
:: diacerein
:: glucosamine
:: Juvise’s Lumirelax (methocarbamol) and thiocolchisoside
:: Krystexxa
:: quinine
:: Mayoly Spindler’s Colchimax (colchicine+opium powder+tiemonium)
:: Besins’ Percutalgine (dexamethasone+salicylamide+hydroxyethyl salicylate) and Dexo’s Cortisal (prednisolone+dipropylene glycol salicylate)

:: domperidone and Johnson & Johnson group-member Janssen’s Droleptan (droperidol)
:: Shire’s Resolor (prucalopride)

:: Merck Sharp & Dohme’s Livial (tibolone)

:: Pharmacosmos’ Ferrisat (iron dextran)

:: moxifloxacine
:: Sanofi’s Ketek (telithromycin)

:: donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine
:: memantine
:: Tysabri
:: Aubagio
:: Janssen’s Sibelium (flunarizine) and Sanofi’s Nocertone (oxetorone)
:: Meda’s Tasmar (tolcapone)

:: ephedrine, naphazoline, oxymetazoline, pseudoephedrine, tuaminoheptane
:: pholcodine
:: Pfizer’s Thiovalone (tixocortol+chlorhexidine)

:: Servier’s Valdoxan (agomelatine)
:: Lilly’s Cymbalta (duloxetine)
:: milnacipran and venlafaxine
:: Servier’s Stablon (tianeptine)
:: Lundbeck’s Sycrest (asenapine)
:: Menarini’s Priligy (dapoxetine)
:: Biocodex’ Stresam (etifoxine)
:: GlaxoSmithKline’s Zyban (bupropion)
:: Pfizer’s Champix (varenicline)

eh/aki/ns