United States of America - The manufacturer of efalizumab (Raptiva®) has informed health care professionals of important new safety information. Efalizumab is indicated for the treatment of adult patients (18 years or older) with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Two cases of haemolytic anaemia were observed in clinical trials of efalizumab and two additional cases were reported in the postmarketing setting. A causal relationship between efalizumab and these events has not been established but cannot be excluded. Based on this data, a warning has been added to the prescribing information.

Reference: Communication from Genentech (http://www.gene.com/gene.contact/) posted on https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/