Manufacturers Pull Parkinson's and Irritable Bowel Drugs from Market

Two manufacturers of separate drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease and irritable bowel syndrome have announced they are taking the drugs off the market because of the risk of cardiovascular injury.

The FDA announced March 29 that Permax and two generic versions of pergolide were being voluntarily withdrawn from the market. Permax is manufactured by Eli Lilly & Co., and was approved in 1988 as an adjunctive therapy used to treat symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. It is marketed by Valeant Pharmaceuticals. The generic versions are manufactured by Par and Teva pharmaceutical companies.

According to an FDA press release announcing …