Doctors have been warned about a risk of serious liver injury linked with use of the anti-thyroid drug propylthiouracil for the treatment of Graves’ Disease.
The US Food and Drug Administration’s alert followed an analysis that found there had been 32 cases of serious liver injury associated with propylthiouracil in the past 30 years.
These included 12 deaths and five liver transplants among 22 adult cases, and one death and six liver transplants in 10 paediatric cases.
These figures compared unfavourably with the use of an alternative medication for Graves’ disease, methimazole, the FDA said.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration advised that carbimazole, a pro-drug for methimazole, is on the Register of Therapeutic Goods and the PBS.
“Health care professionals should carefully consider which drug to...
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