Sales of a promising leukemia drug, Iclusig, are being suspended because of “the risk of life-threatening blood clots and severe narrowing of blood vessels,” the said on Thursday.
The drug, also known as ponatinib, has been linked to severe and sometimes fatal heart attacks and strokes, and loss of blood flow in the extremities serious enough to require amputation. In some cases, the problems or deaths occurred as soon as two weeks after patients began taking the drug, the agency said in a statement. It also said some of the people affected had no risk factors for heart disease, and some were in their 20s.
