FDA to review ARB cancer link
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has announced that it is conducting a safety review of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) after a recently published study suggested they may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.
This announcement clarifies that:
- FDA's review is ongoing and the Agency has not concluded that ARBs increase the risk of cancer
- At this time, FDA believes that the benefits of these medicines continue to outweigh their potential risks
- FDA recommends that these drugs continue to be used as recommended in their approved labels
The announcement also provides a useful summary of the data reported in the initial meta-analysis including details of several limitations in the analysis.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of this review. Concerned patients can be reassured or changed to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) where these drugs have not been tried previously.
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