A scientific publication, relayed this Wednesday April 17 by the French association of thyroid patients, highlighted the presence of impurities in certain controversial drugs from the Merck laboratory.
“A huge breakthrough that patients have been waiting for seven years already.” This Wednesday, April 17, the French association of thyroid patients (AFMT) welcomed the publication of a study by Toulouse and Czech researchers on the controversial drug Levothyrox.
According to the scientific publication in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, certain thyroid medications present impurities “in very abundant and unexpected quantities”, explained Jacques Guillet, AFMT advisor to France Bleu Occitanie.
Scandal in 2017
Levothyrox, prescribed to three million people in France, was at the center of a scandal starting in 2017. At the heart of the matter: the new composition of the drug, which arrived in France at the end of March this year and uses the same active ingredient, levothyroxine, but with new excipients.
Between March 2017 and April 2018, some 31,000 patients suffering from headaches, insomnia, dizziness and other side effects blamed the new formula.
For its part, the Merck laboratory spoke of a “nocebo effect”, with patients inventing symptoms. He was then indicted for “aggravated deception”, while the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM), which had authorized distribution in France, was indicted for “deception”.
“We were despised”
During their research, the scientists therefore analyzed 1,000 boxes of medicines sent by patients and found phospholipids, which could be the cause of undesirable effects, even if no “cause and effect link has been established. demonstrated again.
“The discovery of these impurities is totally unexpected,” assured Doctor Jacques Guillet. Sylvie Chéreau, member of the AMFT and creator of the first collective of Levothyrox victims added to France 3 Occitanie: “It’s a great step forward. It proves that it is not the nocebo effect, like They wanted us to believe.”
She then pointed the finger at the ANSM, which “did not do its job”. “We were despised, denigrated, but we were right to fight,” she proclaimed.
Asked by France Bleu Occitanie, the Merck laboratory reacted: “The interactions between excipients and active ingredients are not new and are perfectly described in the regulations.” He specified that he complied “in all respects with the regulations in force”.
