Makena Withdrawal Brings End to Drug at Times Mired in Controversy
The FDA will withdraw Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate) from the U.S. market, the agency said April 6. The move follows manufacturer Covis Pharma Group saying on March 7 that it had requested an “orderly wind-down” of the drug from the market. However, “effective today, Makena and its generics are no longer approved and cannot lawfully be distributed in interstate commerce,” said the agency in its statement. “Approvals of these drugs have been withdrawn because the drugs are no longer shown to be effective and the benefits do not outweigh the risks for the indication for which they were approved.”
The decision brings to a close a long-running saga that started more than a decade ago, as well as shines a spotlight on the FDA’s often-criticized accelerated approval pathway.
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