"Painkiller Banned in the UK Linked to Tragic Deaths of Britons in Spain: Misdiagnosed as Cancer Cases"

A patients' group representing British victims has initiated legal action against the Spanish government, alleging failure to protect people from potentially fatal side effects of the widely used painkiller metamizole, known as Nolotil in Spain. Banned in several countries, including the UK, the US, India, and Australia, metamizole has been associated with agranulocytosis, a condition that reduces white blood cells, elevating the risk of severe infections.

The Association of Drug Affected Patients (ADAF) claims adverse reactions to metamizole have resulted in sepsis, organ failure, and amputations. The group has identified around 350 suspected cases of agranulocytosis between 1996 and 2023, with 170 cases involving Britons living in Spain or visiting. The ADAF is examining over 40 fatalities where the drug may have played a role.

Metamizole, first produced in Germany in 1922, was withdrawn in about 30 countries due to the risk of agranulocytosis. However, it remains widely available across the EU. Studies indicate a variation in the incidence of agranulocytosis in response to the drug, with the ADAF alleging the British population may be more susceptible based on case reports.

The patients' group is demanding an investigation into the drug, new controls, and filed legal action in Madrid on November 14. Cristina García del Campo, founder of ADAF, emphasized the devastating impact of the drug on people's lives and called for its withdrawal.

García del Campo began investigating after an Irish client fell seriously ill, eventually dying of sepsis and multi-organ failure. The ADAF has submitted evidence suggesting a higher susceptibility of the British population to metamizole, but this claim lacks comprehensive epidemiological evidence.

Cases involving severe reactions to metamizole include an 80-year-old British expatriate, Paddy Clancy, who nearly died after taking the drug following a shoulder operation. The ADAF argues that the drug is being offered without proper controls and is calling for a ban on giving it to citizens from countries where it has been withdrawn.

The company manufacturing Nolotil, Boehringer Ingelheim, defends the drug's safety profile, stating that agranulocytosis is a known, very rare adverse reaction. The Spanish health ministry, responsible for overseeing drug regulations, did not respond to requests for comment.

The ADAF's legal action raises significant public health concerns and seeks to improve the benefit-risk profile and safe use of medicines.

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