Warning issued over HIV drug effects

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A HIV drug is reported to have caused patients to develop potentially fatal skin reactions, prompting pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson to warn clinicians to be cautious with their prescriptions.

The drug Intelence, which works by blocking the enzyme HIV needs to multiply, was approved for use in January, but side effects have included liver damage and severe allergic reactions.

A new label created by US regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes more information about the drug`s effects, advising doctors to stop using it if patients develop rashes, fever, fatigue or other strong negative reactions.

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Letters from Johnson & Johnson’s Tibotec unit have echoed the FDA’s warning about the risks.

Some HIV patients using Intelence have developed Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a skin disease which starts with sore throat, fatigue and fever, and can lead to death.