Hi Riverpush,
Nefazodone Hydrocholoride, the "official" name for the drug Serzone,
was pulled from the European market in early 2003. After several
warnings about its use (see
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2004/safety04.htm#serzone for
example) and several lawsuits over liver failure (see
http://www.injuryboard.com/view.cfm/Topic=662 and
http://www.ahrp.org/infomail/04/05/19.html) the product was pulled
from the US market as well.
You should know that Nefazodone is not the generic version of Serzone.
Technically there is no generic version of Serzone. Nefazodone is
the non-brand name for the drug Serzone. I know it's a little
confusing! You might find the following information on Nefazodone
from the MedMaster drug guide interesting:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a695005.html
I found these sites by looking for "nefazadone" in Medlineplus - which
led me to the correct spelling of the drug name as well as to several
sites about product recalls. I also looked in the Google engine for
"Nefazodone hydrochloride" and "Brystol-Myers Squibb Serzone", and
finally in the MedMaster drug guide for a patient handout. Please let
me know if I can further help!
Librariankt |
Request for Answer Clarification by
riverpush-ga
on
31 Aug 2004 13:07 PDT
I was recently told by a psychiatrist-friend that Nefazadone remains
on the market - that only Serzone was pulled off. Where exactly did
you find the information that Nefazadone is no longer available in the
US? thx.
|
Clarification of Answer by
librariankt-ga
on
01 Sep 2004 07:05 PDT
The confusion is that Serzone and nefazodone are the exact same thing
- nefazodone is only sold as Serzone. It's not like Tylenol vs.
acetaminophen (where Tylenol could be pulled but generic acetaminophen
still be available) - no one else makes nefazodone but Bristol-Myers
Squibb. Thus, if Serzone is off the market, nefazodone also must be
off the market. Does this make sense? LKT
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
riverpush-ga
on
01 Sep 2004 08:48 PDT
Yes, that makes sense, except that it's incorrect. Nefazadone is
separate from Serzone, and it - Nefazadone - is also still on the
market, as evidenced by my purchasing some (w/ a prescription, of
course) at my local Rite Aid last night. Thanks for your efforts,
though. -Djp
|
Clarification of Answer by
librariankt-ga
on
01 Sep 2004 09:54 PDT
Weird. Can you tell me who the manufacturer is? I'm all at a loss
about this one, I have to admit - according to all my drug info
sources there shouldn't be a generic version of Serzone available for
sale. LKT
|
Clarification of Answer by
librariankt-ga
on
01 Sep 2004 10:02 PDT
How embarassing. I've looked in a final drug guide (eFacts and
Comparisons) and have found that there IS a generic version of Serzone
(as you've already discovered). The following companies manufacture
it: Eon Labs Manufacturing, Par Pharmaceutical, and Teva
Pharmaceuticals.
In Europe the drug was removed from the market for health concerns.
B-M Squibb stopped producing it in the US for economic reasons - they
claim they weren't getting enough orders - which means the generics
can still be found.
I apologize profusely for missing this one. Doh! Please be aware,
though, that this drug can have severe consequences, and you need to
be very careful with it. I wish you the best of luck!
LKT
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
riverpush-ga
on
01 Sep 2004 10:42 PDT
Don't sweat it. Yes, I'm aware of the potential consequences: liver
damage if not outright liver failure. Thanks for your cautionary note,
though. And thanks for the source info. Take care. -Djp
|
Clarification of Answer by
librariankt-ga
on
01 Sep 2004 12:36 PDT
Sure thing. Let me know if I can help with anything else. LKT
|
