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Targeted but not trouble-free: efalizumab and PML

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From Nature Reviews Rheumatology

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In April 2009, efalizumab was withdrawn from the market for the treatment of psoriasis after reports emerged of an association between long-term therapy and the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). This event highlights an urgent need for greater awareness and research into the screening, diagnosis and treatment of this potentially fatal disease in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy for chronic inflammatory disorders.

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References

  1. US Food and Drug Administration FDA public health advisory: updated safety information about Raptiva (efalizumab) [online] (2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Eamonn S. Molloy & Leonard H. Calabrese

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  1. Eamonn S. Molloy
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  2. Leonard H. Calabrese
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Correspondence to Eamonn S. Molloy.

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Competing interests

E. S. Molloy declares no competing interests. L. H. Calabrese has acted as a consultant for the following companies: Genentech, Wyeth, Biogen and Roche.

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Molloy, E., Calabrese, L. Targeted but not trouble-free: efalizumab and PML. Nat Rev Rheumatol 5, 418–419 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2009.142

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