Propulsid
is a medicine used for the treatment of nighttime heartburn, commonly
known as acid reflux disease.
In July
of 2000, the drug's manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceutica (a subsidiary
of Johnson & Johnson) stopped selling Propulsid in the U.S.
because it caused hundreds of heart disorders and over 100 deaths.
Until its
withdrawal in the face of serious cardiac events and a mounting
death toll, Propulsid had been one of Johnson & Johnson's top
selling drugs. The Food and Drug Administration approved Propulsid
in 1993 despite evidence of the drug's minimal efficacy, effects
on the heart, and several other obvious risk factors.
Following
its FDA approval, nearly 350,000 Americans took Propulsid each year.
By the time it was withdrawn from the market, over 30 million U.S.
residents had been exposed to the medication.
