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Drug manufacturer Bristol-Meyers announced Wednesday that it will no longer make or sell Serzone, an antidepressant that has been linked to potentially deadly liver complications and has already been withdrawn in major markets including Europe and Canada.
Robert Hutchinson, a spokesman for the company, said that due to poor sales Serzone would be discontinued worldwide, including in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
"After review of the commercial potential of several of our mature products, we decided to discontinue manufacturing and selling certain products, including Serzone," said Hutchinson.
Serzone has been the center of controversy as the subject of several lawsuits over safety concerns. The drug has been linked to 55 cases of liver failure, including 20 deaths, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
In March, the American consumer advocacy group Public Citizen sued the FDA in an attempt to force a ban on Serzone. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, head of Public Citizen''s Health Research Group, said that Bristol-Meyer''s latest action falls short of the mark. Wolfe believes that the company should recall all Serzone already on the market, and that the generic versions of the drug (known as nefazodone) should also be recalled.
"We strongly urge all people using either Serzone or generic nefazodone to contact their physicians about switching to a safer antidepressant," Wolfe said.
Hutchinson claimed that Bristol-Myers will "continue to vigorously defend itself against the implication" that Serzone is unsafe.
16 other drugs will be discontinued as well, with the halt taking effect June 14.