• Raptiva®
• Raptiva® Lawyer
• Raptiva® Side Effects
• Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
• Raptiva® Deaths
• Raptiva® Viral Infections
• Raptiva® Warnings
• Raptiva® Injections
• Raptiva® Medication & Dosing
• Raptiva® Infections
• Raptiva® Prescription
• Raptiva® Efalizumab
• Raptiva® Genentech
• Raptiva® Psoriasis
• Raptiva® Recall
• Raptiva® Lawsuit
• Raptiva® Attorney

Find a Lawyer in Your State

Need Help?

• Accutane®
• Cerebral Palsy
• Darvocet®
• Denture Cream
• Depuy ASR™ Hip Implant
• Fosamax® Femur Fracture
• MiniMed Insulin Pump
• Multaq®
• Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
• Paxil® Birth Defects
• Propecia®
• Shoulder Pain Pump
• Topamax®
• Truck Accident Lawyer
• Wellbutrin®
• Yaz® Birth Control

Efalizumab is the generic name for Raptiva, an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat plaque psoriasis. Raptiva® is a registered trademark owned by the San Francisco-based corporation, Genentech. Efalizumab is a man-made monoclonal antibody that acts as an immunosuppressant (i.e., to weaken the body's immune system on purpose). Raptiva/efalizumab has been linked to very serious infections, some of which have been fatal.

Efalizumab's Mechanism of Action

The way that the efalizumab drug fights psoriasis is as follows: In psoriasis, skin cells reproduce more quickly than is healthy and normal. It's thought that the increased reproduction of cells is due to activation of lymphocytes (a type of cell in the immune system). Efalizumab stops or reduces the activation of lymphocytes by blocking a particular type of receptor that lymphocytes have, and when the receptors are blocked, the lymphocytes can't attach themselves to other cells.

Raptiva's Risks

However, efalizumab (Raptiva) may suppress the immune system too much — leaving an efalizumab-treated patient with a weakened immune system that is vulnerable to infections of various types:

• viral infections
• bacterial infections
• fungal infections
• other serious opportunistic infections
• PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy), a brain infection
• bronchitis
• encephalitis
• meningitis

Efalizumab and PML

PML, in particular, is a confirmed risk from a Raptiva/efalizumab treatment. The FDA has received several reports of this rare brain infection among patients treated with efalizumab, and the counterpart to the FDA in Europe has banned the Raptiva drug from use there due to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy deaths among patients given this medication.

Be Aware of Dangerous Symptoms

If you underwent treatment with Raptiva or efalizumab from a healthcare provider in the U.S., you should be aware that the following signs and symptoms may indicate the development of a serious Raptiva infection such as PML or meningitis:

• altered consciousness, confusion
• clumsiness
• fever
• personality changes
• progressive weakness
• severe headache
• speech problems
• ultra-sensitivity to noise or light
• unexplained neck stiffness
• visual changes

Subcutaneous Injection by Needle

Efalizumab is administered by needle under the skin, by either a physician or self-injected in a once-per-week dose. Efalizumab is not an oral medication, nor is it applied as a cream for psoriasis.

Learn More about Raptiva (Efalizumab) Risks

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death following an efalizumab treatment, you may be eligible to recover compensation for losses including medical costs, physical pain and emotional suffering. Contact us today to speak to a Raptiva attorney who knows more about the dangers of Raptiva. He or she can explain the legal rights of individuals who have been harmed by efalizumab.

"Raptiva side effect PML"

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a voluntary Raptiva recall, April 8, 2009. The Psoriasis drug’s manufacturer, Genentech, announced the voluntary Raptiva recall and has begun phasing the drug off the U.S. market. R...

» Read More