Study Finds Vision Problems Progresses Post Elmiron Treatment

Study Finds Vision Problems Progresses Post Elmiron Treatment

Introduction

A new study by researchers of the Emory School of Medicine on the interstitial cystitis drug, Elmiron, indicates that vision problems can continue to progress even after the usage of the drug is stopped.

Elmiron, also known as pentosan polysulfate sodium or PPS, is sold by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals subsidiary in the U.S. and is used to treat interstitial cystitis (IC) or “painful bladder syndrome,” a chronic condition with no known cure.

The study was published in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology, which found that the drug leads to maculopathy and also worsens the condition even after ten years of completion of the treatment.

The study included 11 females, aged between 53 to 63 years old, who were diagnosed with Elmiron-induced maculopathy. The researchers looked at these patients to learn what happens after drug cessation for at least six months and up to 10 years. The findings revealed the women did not show any improvement in their conditions after discontinuing Elmiron. However, the vision problems continued to worsen in 9 of the 11 patients.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed the label for Elmiron in the U.S., indicating the risk of eye disease associated with the drug. The new warning label was the result of multiple research studies and peer-reviewed publications, an FDA citizen petition, and a growing number of lawsuits.

The number of lawsuits alleging failure to disclose safety warnings against the manufacturer is growing day by day throughout the U.S., post the addition of new warnings, since many long-term users were unaware of the link.

Earlier, a union representing the teachers of Philadelphia demanded the school to remove asbestos from school as it will harm the health of teachers as well as the students. The president of the union filed a lawsuit against the School District of Philadelphia (PSD) and its superintendent as the growing impact of asbestos in school campuses resulted in the shutting down of six schools comprising 125,000 students and 13,000 employees in the district.