The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7495 p352
29 March 2008

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Velcade cardiopulmonary safety

Bortezomib (Velcade) should not be used to treat multiple myeloma patients with certain severe pulmonary or heart problems, says the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

The EMEA has concluded that the benefits of bortezomib are greater than its risks, except in patients with acute diffuse infiltrative pulmonary and pericardial disease. The EMEA also recommends that patients with pulmonary disorders should have chest X-rays and that their individual benefit-risk profiles should be considered before using the drug.