Tequin

gatifloxacin

Tequin, known generically as gatifolxacin, is an antibiotic that was prescribed for respiratory ailments, primarily chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, and pneumonia. It was also prescribed for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other serious infections. Tequin also treats certain sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea.

Common side effects patients have experienced while taking Tequin include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Abnormal blood sugar level, too low or too high

Tequin had an estimated $100 million in U.S. sales in 2005.

In February 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required Bristol-Myers Squibb to add new warnings to Tequin’s label, saying Tequin should not be used by diabetics, the elderly, or any people with kidney disease, as hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia could be life-threatening to those at-risk patients.

The consumer group Public Citizen issued a petition to the FDA demanding an official recall of Tequin, saying there have been 388 patients who have reported blood-sugar irregularities while taking Tequin. Public Citizen claims that 159 of those patients required hospitalization, and 20 patients later died.

Source: “Gatifloxacin (marketed as Tequin),” Food and Drug Administration Patient Information Sheet, March 7, 2006.