Worst Pills, Best Pills

An expert, independent second opinion on more than 1,800 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements

Dangerous Antidepressant Nefazodone (SERZONE) Now Withdrawn From the Market in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand

Worst Pills, Best Pills Newsletter article June, 2004

In March, 2003 Public Citizen’s Health Research Group first petitioned the FDA to ban this uniquely dangerous antidepressant because of liver toxicity (see Worst Pills, Best Pills News March 2003).  As the toll of liver damage and death continued to rise, we amended our petition (see Worst Pills, Best  Pills News December 2003) and in March of this year we filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the FDA because they had failed to act on our petition. As of...

In March, 2003 Public Citizen’s Health Research Group first petitioned the FDA to ban this uniquely dangerous antidepressant because of liver toxicity (see Worst Pills, Best Pills News March 2003).  As the toll of liver damage and death continued to rise, we amended our petition (see Worst Pills, Best  Pills News December 2003) and in March of this year we filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the FDA because they had failed to act on our petition. As of one year ago, the latest time for which we have data, there were a total of 55 patients with liver failure including 20 deaths. Although Serzone, a drug with unique toxicity but no evidence of unique effectiveness in treating depression, is no longer on the market in most of the rest of world, U.S. sales have been brisk with over $100 million of retail sales in 2003.