Zelnorm (Tegaserod), Causing Injury, Is Pulled From the Market
Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate), a prescription medication approved for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (constipation), has been pulled from the market. Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis AG will stop selling this drug at the FDA’s request. Zelnorm has been linked to higher chance of heart attack and stroke,
Zelnorm was used for short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and for patients younger than 65 with chronic constipation. Novartis agreed to pull it from the market after a pooled analysis of 29 placebo-controlled, short-term trials found a small but statistically significant increase in ischemic events, including angina and stroke. The analysis identifed 13 such events, including one death, in more than 11,600 patients treated with Zelnorm/Tegaserod versus one event among a placebo group.