The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently revised its warning information for a group of prostate drugs, including GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Avodart and Merck & Co.’s Proscar, over concerns they may increase the risk of a more serious form of prostate cancer.
The warning, which links use of the drugs to a greater risk of developing high-grade prostate cancers, was issued by the FDA based on the findings of two studies in which approximately 27,000 men, age 50 and older, used the drugs for several years. The FDA said that while the risk of patients developing high-grade prostate cancers is minimal, it is still important information which should be shared with physicians.
