FDA Wants Avandia Off the Market: Dangerous Side Effects
Confidential reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that GlaxoSmithKline's controversial diabetes drug Avandia be pulled from the market because it can cause heart attacks, the New York Times reports. The report obtained by the Times states that if all diabetics using Avandia stopped taking it, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be prevented each month.
Several studies, including a Canadian study in 2009, found that Avandia was associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death among older patients. A bipartisan U.S. Senate investigation also determined that Glaxo did not warn patients earlier that Avandia was potentially deadly. Avandia has been linked to causing congestive heart failure, primary pulmonary hypertension and osteoporosis. A 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients who took Avandia experienced a 43 percent higher risk of cardiovascular events.
Glaxo has faced criticism that it has known about the heart attack risks associated with Avandia for years. In November 2007, Glaxo added a black box warning to Avandia, stating the drug can cause or worsen congestive heart failure.
The experienced St. Louis personal injury attorneys at Page Law can help you with your case involving dangerous prescription drugs and other defective products. We have access to experts, medical professionals and investigators, thus lending our skilled attorneys the resources necessary to fight large drug companies on behalf of our clients. If you or someone you love has suffered an injury because of taking the dangerous drug Avandia or another pharmaceutical product, we will fight for your rights and secure fair compensation for the injuries, losses, pain and suffering that you have endured. Call Page Law at 314-322-8515 for a free consultation.
