Asthma Drug May Produce Suicidal Thoughts

One of the most popular asthma/allergy drugs used by millions here in the US and around the world may cause mental and emotional changes in some patients that could lead to suicide. Already fraught with admitted side-effects such as anxiety and depression, the FDA is taking a closer look at Singulair, a drug that produces billions in annual sales for Big Pharma giant Merck.

Many of the drugs prescribed for asthma are potentially very toxic, especially to children. They often contain steroids and other dangerous substances that will cause long-term damage to patients. Now it appears that suicide must be added to the list of potentially harmful side effects as well. There are many natural remedies for the treatment of asthma, such as a diet that eliminates food allergens, plenty of fresh air, and exercise (swimming is especially good for asthmatics as long as the water is not chlorinated). If you or a loved one suffers from asthma, please do your research before agreeing to the use of medications. Your physician may not be telling you the whole story when it comes to the risks involved.


FDA Investigates Merck Drug-Suicide Link
By MATTHEW PERRONE - 3 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is investigating a possible link between Merck's best-selling Singulair and suicide.

FDA said it is reviewing a handful of reports involving mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken the popular allergy and asthma drug.

Merck has updated the drug's labeling four times in the past year to include information on a range of reported side effects: tremors, anxiousness, depression and suicidal behavior.

FDA said it asked the Whitehouse, N.J.-based company to dig deeper into its data on Singulair for evidence of possible links to suicide. The agency said it has not established a "causal relationship" between Merck's drug and suicidal behavior. An agency spokeswoman said the review was prompted by three to four suicide reports it received since last October.

It could take up to nine months before agency scientists can draw any conclusions, FDA said in a posting to its Web site.

The agency recently began notifying the public earlier about possible safety issues. The policy change came after the FDA was criticized for acting too slowly on information about the risks of Merck's painkiller Vioxx and, GlaxoSmithKline plc's diabetes pill Avandia.

Merck officials stressed that the FDA's inquiry is based on reports, not clinical studies - which are the standard tool for evaluating drug safety. The company said none of the 11,000 patients enrolled in 40 Singulair trials has committed suicide.

"We have no indication that anything about the mechanism of Singulair is consistent with these events," said George Philip, director of research and product development. "But because suicide is a life-threatening event we thought it was important to provide this information in the product label."

Merck said it recently added reports of suicide to Singulair's label, which already listed suicidal thinking and behavior as reported side effects.

In clinical trials of asthma patients, the most common side effects were headache, flu, abdominal pain and cough.

With sales of $4.3 billion last year, Singulair is used by millions of patients in the U.S, according to Merck. First approved in 1998, it's part of a class of asthma and allergy drugs that includes AstraZeneca's Accolate and Critical Therapeutics's Zyflo.

FDA said it is also reviewing reports of side effects with those drugs. Their labeling does not contain language about suicide.

"Patients should not stop taking Singulair before talking to their doctor," FDA said in its statement, adding that doctors should monitor patients for suicidal behavior and mood changes.

Shares of Merck & Co. Inc. rose 8 cents to close at $44.78.

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