Switzerland’s drugs regulator Swissmedic is closely monitoring international developments around the drug Tavneos following warnings from Japan about several deaths. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Japanese pharmaceutical company Kissei Pharmaceutical has warned doctors against prescribing Tavneos, a drug developed by the American biotech company Amgen to treat rare autoimmune diseases, to new patients. Since the drug’s market launch in 2021, 20 people have died after taking it. The Japanese company warned physicians of the risk of severe liver dysfunction and urged them to review whether ongoing treatments should be continued. Although no deaths have been recorded in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to revoke the drug’s approval, while the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a review. Both agencies have expressed concerns regarding data falsification and other issues. The Swiss Agency for Therapeutic …