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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2009;301(14):1423-1424.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Reports of a rare and deadly neurological condition called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in patients taking certain biologic immunosuppressants for autoimmune or inflammatory conditions are raising concerns about the safety of these drugs.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, an often fatal disease caused by the JC virus (seen here in tissue from a patient), may occur in persons taking certain biologic agents. (Photo credit: Arch Neurol. 2002;59(12):1930-1936.)

In February, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory alerting physicians and patients to 1 possible and 3 confirmed cases of PML in patients taking efalizumab, a once-weekly injection approved for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis in adults. The label of this drug had been changed to reflect the risk of serious infections, including PML, in October 2008.

Previously, the agency and/or drugmakers had warned of cases of PML in patients taking 2 other drugs: mycophenolate mofetil, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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