Carter Wallace To Stop Selling Felbamate?

In the wake of reports of serious side effects linked to the use of Carter- Wallace's new antiepileptic drug Felbatol (felbamate; Marketletter August 8), the company has raised the possibility that it may take the drug off the market.

According to the Marketletter's US correspondent, Carter-Wallace is investigating the estimated costs of discontinuing Felbatol in discussions with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It has said that a one-time charge to cover inventory write-offs, purchase commitments and the return of previously shipped orders would likely be between $60 million and $70 million.

Meantime, the Epilepsy Foundation of America is getting up to 700 calls daily from patients asking for more information on Felbatol and is concerned that many more simply are not getting through to its jammed switchboard. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned doctors to consider taking patients off the drug after two people died of aplastic anemia. Doctors are also urging patients not to panic after the warning.