An expert from the Irish Medicines Board is to be called to give evidence at an inquest on a widely used arthritis drug after two doctors testified yesterday that they believed it caused a woman's death through liver failure.
Cork city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said she wanted to hear the views of the Irish Medicines Board on Nimesulide, which is sold under brand names Aulin and Mesulid, after it was claimed the drug had resulted in the deaths of six patients in Ireland.
The inquest into the death of Joan Flavin (71), Dungarvan, Co Waterford, heard she had suffered from progressive arthritis for 11 years and had been taking a variety of anti-inflammatory drugs over that period.
Dungarvan GP Dr Tom Higgins told how Ms Flavin had knee-replacement surgery on one knee in February 2005 while she continued to suffer pain from arthritis in the other. He had prescribed various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
In February 2006, he prescribed Nimesulide under its trade name Mesulid. Like all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it was to be treated with caution and administered in a short sharp course of treatment or on a need-to-use basis, he said.
Ms Flavin's daughter, Christine Power, said Nimesulide had given her mother relief from pain.
Dr Higgins said on August 16th, 2006, Ms Flavin was admitted to the Mercy University Hospital in Cork as he thought she might be suffering from gallstones or some form of obstructive jaundice.
Consultant Dr Cristóir Ó Suilleabháin said tests showed she was most likely suffering from cholestatic jaundice rather than an obstructive problem which could be rectified by surgery. A liver biopsy led him to believe that the most likely cause of her liver function failing was an idiosyncratic or unexpected reaction to the use of Nimesulide, which can cause such unpredictable reactions.
Dr Ó Suilleabháin said he could find no evidence of any other cause of damage to her liver such as hepatitis or a virus. Cross-examined by solicitor Paddy Gordon, for the Flavin family, he said he was aware Nimesulide was not marketed in the UK, US, New Zealand, Australia or Scandinavia but he was not aware that it had recently been withdrawn in Portugal, Israel and Sri Lanka.
Mr Gordon said there had been six cases here of people dying from a reaction to the drug.
Dr Cullinane adjourned the inquest until May 30th to allow an expert from the Irish Medicines Board to attend.
