Drug Warning: Elidel Side Effects and Risks

Elidel, a drug for the treatment of eczema, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea, has been linked to cancer in reports made to the FDA (Federal Drug Administration). Elidel is known as a topical immunosuppressant calcineurin inhibitor, and it lowers the body’s normal immune response, perhaps leading to a greater risk of cancer.

The FDA issued an Elidel warning on January 19, 2006 requiring the manufacturer to include a boxed warning on Elidel. The warning contains many of the recommendations made by the FDA in a March 2005 alert.

The FDA recommends that healthcare providers, patients and caregivers consider the following:

• Use Elidel and Protopic only as second-line agents for short-term and intermittent treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) in patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of other treatments.
• Avoid use of Elidel and Protopic in children younger than 2 years of age. The effect of Elidel and Protopic on the developing immune system in infants and children is not known. In clinical studies, infants and children younger than 2 years old treated with Elidel had a higher rate of upper respiratory infections than did those treated with placebo cream.
• Use Elidel and Protopic only for short periods of time, not continuously. The long term safety of Elidel and Protopic are unknown.
• Children and adults with a weakened or compromised immune system should not use Elidel or Protopic.
• Use the minimum amount of Elidel or Protopic needed to control the patient’s symptoms. In animals, increasing the dose resulted in higher rates of cancer.

If you are currently using Elidel, check with your health care provider for information on alternative treatments. If you or a family member has been injured after using Elidel, you may be entitled to damages for your injuries. You should contact a qualified Elidel lawyer as soon as possible to evaluate your case. See Elidel Attorney and Lawyer –How to Hire for information on finding someone to help you.

Check out the following articles for more information about Elidel, filing a Elidel lawsuit and finding a Elidel attorney.

• For more information about Elidel, see Drug Overview: Elidel Side Effects and Claims.
• For more information about Elidel side effects, see Elidel Side Effects – Cancer.
• For more information about Elidel updates, see Elidel Information and Warnings.
• If you would like to learn more about Elidel lawsuits, see Elidel Lawsuits, Litigation & Lawyers.
• To learn more about Elidel attorneys and how to find one, see Hiring a Elidel Attorney and Lawyer.