Avandia Recall
Avandia: Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate), approved by the FDA in 1999, is used to treat Type 2 diabetes. GlaxoSmithKline manufactures Avandia, and estimates that approximately twenty million Americans are affected by Type 2 diabetes. Avandia works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, and is part of a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones. By lowering blood sugar, Type 2 diabetes patients can avoid the debilitating side effects of the disease.
Beginning in 2006, correlated data surfaced between patients taking Avandia and an increased risk of heart attack and other adverse cardiovascular events. The advocacy group Public Citizen, along with medical researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, began a concerted campaign to study the side effects of Avandia.
By May 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine published an extensive study linking a significant increase in heart attack risk and cardiovascular death to the use of Avandia. Immediately following the report, the FDA issued a safety alert encouraging doctors, pharmacists, and patients to explore possible treatment alternatives.
In November 2007, the FDA issued a news update on Avandia. This update included new information added to the boxed warnings for the potential increased risk of heart attack.. At this point, the FDA could not conclusively determine that the risks of Avandia were greater than other Type 2 diabetes treatments.
Until February 2008, that is. A 18,000 patient clinical trial involving diabetes treatments was halted eighteen months early due to a significant risk of patient death by more than a 25%.
Following this news, the advocacy group Public Citizen has decried the use of Avandia, stating it should be banned in the United States not only for heart failure, but for liver failure as well. Other reported problems with the drug include liver toxicity, increased risk for bone fracture, increased risk of anemia, and vision loss.
Prescriptions for Avandia peaked in 2006 at 13.2million. Public Citizen now estimates nearly 10,000 prescriptions are filled each day for the drug.
If you've suffered a heart attack or adverse cardiovascular event while on Avandia
Contact the Rasansky Law Firm immediately. While all medications have certain, anticipated side effects, a drug manufacturer must inform doctors and patients of the known risks of the drug. If a manufacturer fails in this duty to inform, it can be held liable to the patients harmed by the drug. The Rasansky Law Firm will evaluate your potential case, and assist you with your legal rights.
If you're currently taking Avandia for Type 2 diabetes
Consult your doctor immediately. There are many different treatments for Type 2 diabetes, and your doctor will know which course of treatment is correct for you.
