FDA says Eli Lilly & Co's Darvon and Darvocet should be banned

WASHINGTON A painkiller on the market for almost 50 years should be banned, a panel of medical experts at the Food and Drug Administration has said.

The panel said that Eli Lilly & Co.'s Darvon (propoxyphene) and Darvocet, a formulation of Darvon with acetaminophen added, could increase the risk of death from heart disease. 

The FDA has not taken action on the recommendation, which the panel made last week. 

Several companies also make generic formulations of propoxyphene.