Emily Chan
While there were no cardiovascular issues associated with Cylert, it was found to be toxic to the liver. Thirteen cases of acute liver failure were reported, and 11 of them resulted in death or liver transplant.
A nonprofit group called Public Citizen petitioned to remove Cylert from the market in 2005. However, the drug stayed on the market until 2010. Even then, it was only discontinued because sales weren’t looking too hot, rather than for safety concerns.
Darvon/Darvocet
For 55 years, Darvon/Darvocet served as an opioid pain reliever. It was said to have the “potency of codeine” and effectively got rid of headaches, but it was really hard on the heart.
Between 1981 and 1999, Darvon/Darvocet caused serious cardiac abnormalities, leading to 2,110 deaths. In 1978 and again in 2006, the FDA was petitioned to take the drug off the market.
In early 2009, an FDA committee voted to stop marketing the drug, but later that same year, the FDA decided to add more fine print that warned of the risks and continued marketing it.
It wasn’t until 2010 that it was actually removed from the market after a clinical trial proved how it affected the heart’s electrical activity.
DES
DES was a synthetic form of estrogen that was prescribed to pregnant women who wanted to have a healthy baby. It claimed to help prevent miscarriages, premature labor, and other complications that could occur during pregnancy.
It was unsuccessful at doing what it was meant to do. Instead, it caused a number of other health problems, such as cancer, birth defects, developmental issues, fertility complications, and more.
DES was one of the worst FDA mistakes in history. Somewhere between five to 10 million mothers and female fetuses were exposed to the drug.
