Doctors want ban on three medicines

MEDICAL JOURNAL THAT RAISED THE ALARM ABOUT SLIMMING PILL MEDIATOR HAS CALLED FOR THREE OTHER DRUGS TO BE BANNED FRENCH health authorities have been urged to ban three widely prescribed

drugs over safety concerns. Préscrire, the independent medical journal that raised the alarm about deadly slimming drug Mediator, has issued a warning about Buflomédil, a drug which that

blood vessels and has been sold under brand names including Fonzylane for more than 20 years. Researchers believe it has caused severe cases of neurological and heart problems, some of which

have been fatal. The journal claims authorities have been aware of the problem since 2006. Préscrire says in its January edition: "Instead of withdrawing this drug from sale, the

authorities have decided only to ban the strongest version. Sales have halved in three years, but clearly this is not enough." The journal has also raised concerns about

anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide, usually sold as Nexen, which it says has prompted 500 cases of liver damage around Europe and has already been banned in Finland, Spain, Belgium and

Ireland. The third is vinflunine, sold as Javlor, which is often used in the treatment of bladder cancer. Préscrire has a track record of issuing warnings about potentially dangerous drugs.

It campaigned strongly for a ban on Mediator, the slimming drug that the government now believes led to the deaths of up to 2,000 people owing to heart valve problems. Mediator has been used

by five million French people since 1976, but has been under investigation in Europe since 1995 and was finally withdrawn from sale in France in November 2009.