The European Medicines Agency has released a recent review of a medication, stating that Zinbryta liver failure may be possible and putting patients at severe risk. In 2017, the review was completed and it was determined that serious liver damage may affect patients taking Zinbryta.

Zinbryta is a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis. In March 2018, Biogen and AbbVie, the makers of the drug, opted to voluntarily recall it from the market. The FDA has shared that they are working with the involved manufacturers to organize a proper withdrawal from the market.

Despite the current voluntary Zinbryta recall, individuals who already have a prescription for the medication are being told to talk to their physicians before discontinuing usage. Alternative treatment options may need to be identified before use of Zinbrya is halted suddenly. The medication will be made available on an as-needed basis through the end of April.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that often results in disabilities for the affected patient due to the disruption of information flow to the brain. Each person diagnosed with MS may experience individual symptoms and varying levels of severity. The treatment options recommended for MS are based on the individual patient’s needs.

According to the drug’s black box warning, the only patients who should use this medication are those who have had an inadequate response to at least two other disease-modifying therapies and are no longer eligible to be treated with other forms of DMTs.

Zinbryta liver failure can be serious or life-threatening. Based on the European Medicines Agency recommendations, during treatment for those patients who will be receiving Zinbryta. the physician in charge should do a blood test and check the liver regularly and for as long as six months after the treatment has been stopped.

Zinbryta liver failure is not the only potentially serious side effect recorded that ultimately prompted the drug manufacturers to issue a voluntary withdrawal of the drug from the market. At least 12 reports of severe inflammatory brain disorders and other concerns such as immune reactions and Zinbryta liver failure were recorded with the multiple sclerosis medicine.

Inflammatory brain disorders including encephalitis have been recorded in patients who took this drug for the management of their multiple sclerosis. Three of the 12 Zinbryta encephalitis cases that were recorded around the world ended in fatalities.

In 2016, the FDA originally approved Zinbryta to treat those adults who had relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis,. However, multiple patients have reported serious side effects with the medications that originally came to market. Some of those include allegations of Zinbryta liver failure.

Other concerns included immune reactions and skin reactions. A black box warning has been placed on Zinbryta as a result of the possible side effects.

In March 2018, the European Medicines Agency recommended a recall and suspension of the drug across the continent, claiming that their recommendation would be that no new patients begin treatment with Zinbryta and that those patients who are currently being treated should be contacted immediately.