Darvon/Darocet
The Food and Drug Administration has pulled the popular pain killer Darvon from shelves because the dangerous drug has been linked to heart problems. Propoxyphene, the active ingredient in Darvon and the related drug Darocet, has been shown to cause irregular heart activity. Studies have shown that even at prescribed doses propoxyphene can cause abnormal heart rhythms in patients.
Darvon was developed and approved in the 1950s as an opioid narcotic prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain. Darvocet combines propxyphene and acetaminophen and was developed and approved in the 1970s. It has remained an extremely popular low cost pain killer with over 10 million people being prescribed the drug in 2009. For years, consumer groups, such as Public Citizen, have tried to have the drug removed from the market claiming it was responsible for over 2,000 deaths.
In 2009, an outside expert panel voted 14-12 to remove the drug from the market due to the increased risk of heart problems but the FDA kept the drug on shelves and failed to notify consumers of the risk of heart problems. In 2010, a study published by the drug’s manufacturer, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., confirmed the link between propoxyphene and heart problems. The FDA removed the drug from the market in November 2010, citing that the potential risks of the drug outweighed any benefits.
If you believe you or a loved one has developed coronary side effects such as arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat or heart attack from taking Darvon or Darocet please do not hesitate to contact the experienced Darvon attorneys at the law firm of MacDonald Rothweiler Eisenberg LLP.
Darvon was developed and approved in the 1950s as an opioid narcotic prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain. Darvocet combines propxyphene and acetaminophen and was developed and approved in the 1970s. It has remained an extremely popular low cost pain killer with over 10 million people being prescribed the drug in 2009. For years, consumer groups, such as Public Citizen, have tried to have the drug removed from the market claiming it was responsible for over 2,000 deaths.In 2009, an outside expert panel voted 14-12 to remove the drug from the market due to the increased risk of heart problems but the FDA kept the drug on shelves and failed to notify consumers of the risk of heart problems. In 2010, a study published by the drug’s manufacturer, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., confirmed the link between propoxyphene and heart problems. The FDA removed the drug from the market in November 2010, citing that the potential risks of the drug outweighed any benefits.
If you believe you or a loved one has developed coronary side effects such as arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat or heart attack from taking Darvon or Darocet please do not hesitate to contact the experienced Darvon attorneys at the law firm of MacDonald Rothweiler Eisenberg LLP.