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What is Avandia and what are its dangers?
March 1st, 2008
Avandia is a drug that is made by the British pharmaceutical company Glaxosmithkline for the control of Type 2 diabetes by controlling their high blood sugar. It comes in dosages of 2, 4 and 8 mg tablets and the typical beginning dosage is 4 mg daily not to exceed 8 mg daily. Avandia can cause your body to keep extra fluid (fluid retention), which leads to swelling (edema) and weight gain. Extra body fluid can make some heart problems worse or lead to heart failure.
There have been several serious side effects admitted by Glaxosmithkline that can accompany the ingestion of this drug. The most serious of those are congestive heart failure, heart attack, angina and serious fractures in women usually in the foot, hand or upper arm.
In its June 14, 2007 issue, cardiologist Stephen Nissen of the Cleveland Heart Clinic published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine which evaluated 42 studies of 28,000 patients which concluded that those patients taking Avandia had an increase of heart attack of 43 percent. Dr. Nissen's study also found that there was a 64 percent increase of death from cardiovascular causes for patients on the drug. At the time more than one million people were taking the drug for the treatment of their diabetes. Following this article, the Federal Drug Administration required a black box warning (strongest warning that can be issued for a drug) to be placed on all prescriptions of Avandia advising all users of the drug that its use greatly increased the risk of heart attack. The FDA also requested that Glaxosmithkline immediatly begin a study to determine the long term effects of the drug. A FDA scientist estimated in July that Avandia may have caused up to 140,000 heart attacks or deaths since it has been on the market.
In August 2006, a similar analysis by GlaxoSmithKline identified a 31 percent increase in cardiovascular risk. Although the company alerted the FDA to the safety concerns, it did not notify doctors or patients of the heart problems associated with the drug.
In December of 2007, another study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found patients on Avandia had a 60 percent increase in heart failure, 40 percent increase in heart attacks and a 30 percent increase in death. This translates into three additional episodes of heart failure, four additional heart attacks and five additional deaths per 100 people on the drug.
If you have had any of the side effects discussed in this question, please contact our firm immediatly. We handled several patients succesfully in claims against Vioxx and have already accepted patients for Avandia. As in the Vioxx cases, our attorneys succesfully work on behalf of our clients with a leading national firm which allows our clients to have the advantage of being able to speak with their attorney in person while at the same time knowing their attorneys have the money to fight the huge drug companies. Call us today to find out more information regarding your case.