Here's an article from Forbes online, about an unfortunate possible side effect which may have come from Rituxan use.
Update -- Analysts Downplay Rituxan Worries - Forbes.com
The Food and Drug Administration warned health care professionals on Monday that two patients treated with the drug Rituxan for an off-label condition died after developing a fatal viral infection called PML.
“Rituxan is used in both approved and off-label settings, and therefore it is very important for prescribers as well as patients to be aware of these new reports of the risk of PML,” said Dr. Steven Galson, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
Rituxan is co-promoted by Genentech and Biogen. The drug generated sales in 2005 of $1.8 billion.
Shares of Genentech dipped 18 cents, or 0.2%, to $80.78, while shares of Biogen fell 71 cents, or 1.4%, to $49.52 on Tuesday.
It is not clear at this time whether the drug did cause the fatal infection in those patients, said Biogen spokesperson Amy Brockelman in an interview. But, she added, “It can’t be ruled out whether Rituxan contributed to these events.”
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