Twenty-three people have died after being injected with colchicine, a gout drug that's FDA-approved only for oral use. Spurred by these reports, the FDA is cracking down on companies that sell the unapproved form.
Colchicine is a highly toxic drug, the FDA says, and overdoses are difficult to avoid when it's given intravenously. The agency gave companies 30 days to stop making injectable colchicine and 180 days to stop shipping it; after that time, FDA permits will be required for manufacturing or shipping.
- read the FDA release
- see this story for more