Tequin Exiting Market

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. will stop making and selling its antibiotic Tequin, but existing supplies will remain in place and will not be recalled. Tequin's safety has been in question, and the FDA increased warnings on the drug's label in February. The drug is suspected of causing both high and low blood sugar in some patients; and the manufacturer has warned that diabetics shouldn't use it, and the elderly and those with kidney disease are at higher risk for problems.

In a petition to have the FDA ban the drug, Public Citizen (a public interest group) said that 388 patients on the drug have had blood-sugar irregularies, including 20 deaths and 159 hospitalizations since January 1, 2000.

Originally approved in 1999, Tequin's global sales were lukewarm last year at $150 million.

See the CBS News story