Heartburn Drug Reglan Linked to Spasms, Tics

On April 8, 2009, Genentech, the manufacturer of the psoriasis drug Raptiva (efalizumab), announced that it had begun a withdrawal of Raptiva from the U.S. market because of its link to patients developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a neurologic disease caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system. PML is associated with long-term Raptiva use and generally occurs in people whose immune systems have been severely weakened. It often leads to an irreversible decline in neurologic function and death. There is no known effective treatment for PML.