Kentucky-based Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc. has agreed to remove the opiate-like narcotic painkiller Darvon from the market in light of new data suggesting the drug can cause serious or even fatal heart rhythm abnormalities. Darvon, whose generic name is propoxyphene, was first approved in 1957 and became a popular prescription pain reliever in the '70s, even though it offered relatively weak pain relief.
ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross still harbors a cold spot in his heart for the drug. “We learned when I was a resident in the early 70s that Darvon was basically more of a placebo than anything else — but with the potential for some dangerous side effects. When I went first went into practice, as soon as I saw a patient on Darvon, I knew that it was likely written by an older doctor who was probably not up on the latest medicine.”
Public Citizen Health Research Group’s Dr. Sidney Wolfe used the occasion to attack the FDA for banning the drug 10 years too late. “Leave it to Sidney Wolfe to find a reason to attack the FDA even when they do something right,” says Dr. Ross. “I do, however, agree that Darvon needed to be removed from the market — let’s just say public health will not suffer as a result of its withdrawal.”
