In April 2009, Genetech, the manufacturer of the psoriasis drug Raptiva, announced that it was voluntarily withdrawing the product off the market. The complete recall of the drug throughout the United States and Europe will be finalized this week.

Raptiva, or generically known as efalizumab, has been recalled due to the risk of serious side effects associated with taking the medication, including a fatal brain infection known as Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML).

Raptiva was approved by the FDA in 2003 and it was used as a once a week injection for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Genetech estimates that approximately 2,000 patients in the United States may have been the recipients of Raptiva.

PML is a rare, progressive, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that leads to death or severe disablility. PML is caused by the activation of the John Cunningham (JC) virus which is a disease commonly found in adults and usually only leads to PML in adults suffering from immune system deficiencies. Symptoms for PML can include weakness, paralysis, vision loss, impaired speech, cognitive deterioration, and eventually death. There is no known cure or effective treatment for PML. So far, there have been three cases of diagnosed PML in patients receiving Raptiva and one patient treated with Raptiva who developed PML and died.

If you or someone that you know has taken Raptiva and is suffering from symptoms associated with PML, please contact the law offices of Houssiere, Durant & Houssiere, L.L.P. to set up a free consultation with an attorney and medical expert. The attorneys at Houssiere Durant and Houssiere have decades of experience in defective pharmaceutical products and are aggressively handling Raptiva claims.