Drugmaker Merck KGaA, which markets Genentech’s psoriasis drug Raptiva, has said it is working with European Union regulators following the death of a second patient.
The Raptiva patient was the second to die of a rare brain infection in the US, known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), prompting regulators to alert doctors to the risk. They have also been reminded to report any side effects linked to the injected drug.
Phyliss Carter, a spokeswoman for Merck, said: “We are working with the European Medicines Agency and with other authorities to update the product information and are seeking to determine if further action is needed.”
Last year, Merck generated €76 million in sales from Raptiva, 1.6 percent of its total pharmaceuticals revenue of €4.9 billion.