FDA's warning on Botox is not enough
Two weeks after Public Citizen petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ramp up its warnings about Botox, and its competitor, Myoboloc, the FDA has acted, sort of. Today, the FDA released a statement saying it was conducting an “ongoing safety review” of the medications, which are often used to treat wrinkles.
This is from Lauran Neergaard of the Associated Press:
The problems may be caused by overdoses of the drugs, the FDA said.
Caroline Van Hove, a spokeswoman for Botox maker Allergan Inc., said children with cerebral palsy have far larger doses injected into their leg muscles than the doses given adults seeking wrinkle care.
But the FDA warned that it also has reports of side effects in people of all ages given the drugs for a variety of conditions.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, called on the FDA to do more than just send out a press release.