Ultrasound Drugs Face FDA Warning: WSJ

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is preparing to warn physicians about hazards with drugs that use ultrasound imaging machines to enhance the diagnosis of heart problems, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on Sunday.

The principal drug at issue is Definity, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb , the Journal reported, adding that a second drug called Optison, from General Electric , is also expected to receive warnings.

General Electric is the parent company of CNBC.

The affected drugs are expected to carry a black-box warning, the sternest available, that would tell doctors not to use the medicines in patients with unstable angina, acute heart attacks and unstable cardiopulmonary disease, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.

The FDA, Bristol-Myers Squibb and General Electric could not be immediately reached for comment.

Warnings about the drugs could come this week, the Journal reported.