Bristol-Myers Warning Ignored on Steroid Shots Tied to Deaths

Doctors are still injecting a steroid made by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. in a way the company warns they shouldn’t, following reports that patients have died or become paralyzed after receiving steroidal shots.

Bristol-Myers changed the label on its steroid Kenalog seven months ago to say that it’s “not recommended” for injection into the epidural space near the spine because of “reports of serious medical events, including death,” associated with administering steroids in that fashion. The label doesn’t specify if Kenalog patients died and a spokesman for the company declined to comment.