Health Canada, Eli Lilly Release Advisory That Evista Could Increase Stroke Mortality Risk Among Some Postmenopausal Women

Health Canada, the country's health ministry, and Eli Lilly on Thursday released advisories for both the public and health professionals that the bone thinning drug Evista might increase the chance of stroke mortality among postmenopausal women living with heart conditions, CBC News reports (CBC News, 5/25). Initial results of a National Cancer Institute-sponsored study released last month found that Evista, known generically as raloxifene, is as effective as the breast cancer prevention drug tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women already at an increased risk of developing the disease and is less likely to cause serious side effects. FDA has approved raloxifene for use as a preventive drug for osteoporosis and bone thinning but not for breast cancer (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/18). Another clinical trial involving more than 10,000 postmenopausal women with heart conditions in 26 countries finds that 2.2 per every 1,000 women taking raloxifene died of a stroke, compared with 1.5 per every 1,000 women taking a placebo. Eli Lilly and Health Canada advised women in the country to consult their physicians about the drugs (Carey, Toronto Star, 5/26).


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