June - 18 - 2008 

Using a large amount of becaplermin (Regranex), which is prescribed for the treatment of severe foot and leg ulcers in people with diabetes, could increase the risk of dying from cancer, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The FDA's warning was issued following a long-term analysis of patients who used the Johnson & Johnson treatment compared with those who did not.  A black-box warning has been added to the drug's label, stating that patients who used three or more tubes of becaplermin over a period of 20 months were five times more likely to die from cancer.  The FDA's analysis revealed that when patients used lower amounts of the drug, they were at no greater risk of developing cancer than patients who had not used the drug at all.

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