Two children have died from acute liver failure after taking world’s most expensive drug. Although the patients had acute liver failure, Zolgensma's manufacturer claims that this is not a new "safety signal."
After receiving Zolgensma gene therapy, sometimes referred to as the most costly drug in the world, two infants died of acute liver failure, the drug's maker Novartis reported on Thursday.
According to the Swiss pharmaceutical company, acute liver failure is a "known adverse event" of the medication used to treat patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), however these are the first death cases brought on by this complication. According to Novartis, the patients had taken corticosteroids to prevent serious liver damage.
According to the company, the deaths happened in Russia and Kazakhstan. It also noted that it had updated medical personnel as well as informed health authorities in the areas where the drug is supplied. Zolgensma costs about $2 million per patient....