Tag: Drug ban

In 1971, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a bulletin advising physicians to stop prescribing diethylstilbestrol (DES) to pregnant women. This pivotal moment was a direct response to mounting evidence that the synthetic estrogen, once thought to prevent miscarriage, was causing serious health problems in the children of women who took it.

Over 10,000 people were affected by subacute myelo-optic neuropathy (SMON) in Japan between 1957 and 1970, with the resulting investigation conclusively linking the disease to the oral administration of enteroquinol. This connection led to the drug's global ban for oral use and a re-evaluation of drug safety standards worldwide.

In the year 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory concerning the popular decongestant ingredient phenylpropanolamine (PPA), which led to the banning of many over-the-counter products, including certain formulations of Drixoral. This decision was based on new scientific evidence linking PPA to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a severe and potentially life-threatening side effect.

Introduced in the 1950s for hypertension and psychiatric conditions, reserpine was one of the first modern antihypertensive drugs, but its use declined precipitously due to serious side effects. Understanding why is reserpine banned reveals the evolution of pharmacology and medication safety standards.