Lawsuits: Avandia Side Effects: Heart Attacks, Death for Diabetics: Personal Injury Lawyers Target Diabetes Drug
Avandia side-effects may include heart attack, death according to FDA, health studies. Attorneys file lawsuits for injured using the prescription diabetes drug.
- Avandia Safety Alert
- FDA Avandia Warnings
- Avandia Lawsuits
- Are You a Victim of Avandia Side-Effects?
- Online Resources for Avandia Victims
- Avandia Class Action Lawsuit Update
- Facts About Avandia, Lawsuits, Lawyers & Your Legal Rights
- Avandia Video News Update from FDA
Avandia Safety Alert
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a special Safety Alert for Type 2 diabetes patients who are, or have in the past used, the prescription drug Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone maleate. The drug is manufactured by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline of Triangle Park, NC.
The FDA cites controlled studies of the drug pointing to an increased risk of heart attacks, heart problems and even death in some cases. However, the FDA also notes that other studies may contradict this information and has so far refused to order GlaxoSmithKline to actually recall the drug for safety reasons. The federal agency that approves and regulates all prescription drugs in the Unites States says that it is still “studying” the situation. In the meantime, it has forced GlaxoSmithKline to issue more stern warnings about the drug’s side-effects to diabetes patients who are prescribed the medication by their Doctors.
FDA Avandia Warnings
Below are some direct quotes from the FDA on possible side-effects of the prescription drug Avandia:
- Treatment with Avandia may have a 30-40 percent greater risk of heart attack and other heart-related adverse events than patients treated with placebo or other anti-diabetic therapy.
- Safety data from controlled clinical trials have shown that there is a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia.
- Since the drug was approved, FDA has been monitoring several heart-related adverse events (e.g., fluid retention, edema and congestive heart failure) based on signals seen in previous controlled clinical trials of Avandia alone and in combination with other drugs, and from postmarketing reports.
Avandia Lawsuits
According to the Wall Street Journal (June 12, 2007), the manufacturer of Avandia, pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, is now facing a class-action shareholder lawsuit against itself on behalf of investors who may have lost money. The suit claims that corporate executives knew of potential risks with the drug early on, but did not make this information available to potential investors.
In addition to the class-action investor lawsuit, other lawsuits against the company are reportedly in the works from a number of personal injury lawyers. The owner of the phone number 1-800-BAD-DRUG has been using television advertising to reach potential victims who may have used Avandia and suffered from its side-effects. These may also include wrongful death lawsuits filed on behalf of those who lost family members.
With over 1 million type 2 diabetes patients having used the prescription drug since it was first approved by the FDA in 1999, it would seem that the potential for litigation with this drug is significant. Trial lawyers are quickly focusing on Avandia as the newest “bad drug”, and may be targeting the manufacturer with hundreds, or even thousands, or potential lawsuits, although most cases such as these are settled out of court far in advance of any actual trial. Personal injury attorneys in all states are currently seeking clients for potential lawsuits.
Are You A Victim of Avandia Side Effects?
There are a number of other potential side-effects with Avandia, besides just an increased chance of heart problems. Other symptoms that have been reported by those using the prescription drug include: Swelling, or edema, fluid retention, headaches, weight gain, broken bones, anemia, cold-like symptoms, hypoglycemia and liver problems.
If you are, or have been using the drug, you should first consult with your personal physician in order to determine if Avandia has possibly caused any serious side-effects. Sometimes, a specialist must be called-in to determine possible damage to the heart or circulatory system. These often require additional medical tests.
If you can not currently afford medical treatment, or have any reason to question your own physician’s findings regarding possible injuries caused by Avandia, you may want to make an appointment with a personal injury lawyer for a free consultation. Since most trial lawyers and personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, they will often pay for expert medical diagnosis and care for their clients in advance of any lawsuits. There is generally nothing to risk by getting a second opinion beyond that of your own physician, especially when it is essentially free.
Online Resources For Avandia Victims
FDA.GOV – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
GlaxoSmithKline – Original manufacturers of Avandia
Rosiglitazone – Wikipedia encyclopedia entry
YourLawyer.Com – Legal info on Avandia lawsuits
HealthDay Studies – Avandia vs Actos
Time Magazine – Is Avandia the new Vioxx?
Avandia Class Action Lawsuit Update
January 23, 2010 (FreeDiabetesTestSupplies.Com) – Eastern Pennsylvania District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe has ordered the release of plaintiff medical records in a class-action lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), manufacturer of the diabetes prescription drug treatment Avandia. The court order covers approximately 550 separate lawsuits against the drug maker, most alleging damages from side-effects of the drug. The plaintiffs must now either produce their medical records in regards to their use of the diabetes medication or face having their lawsuits and claims dismissed.
Most cases currently in the courts claim that drug maker GlaxoSmithKline failed to warn diabetes patients of serious, known side effects. Some of the more serious side effects of Avandia are an increased risk of heart attack, liver failure and broken bones.
At the moment, Judge Rufe is ruling on pre-trial litigation in the lawsuits. Attorneys expect the resulting cases to go to trial in the Summer of 2010. Avandia’s manufacturers have lost in a series of rulings by the FDA, which resulted in a 2008 trial that exposed an increased risk of death to diabetes patients taking the drug who had low blood glucose levels.
Facts About Avandia, Lawsuits, Lawyers & Your Legal Rights
- Avandia was first approved for use by FDA in 1999
- Avandia has been prescribed to more than 6 million diabetic patients
- Studies show patients taking Avandia have a 43% higher rate of heart attacks
- Research confirms that users of Avandia may face an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures
- Avandia users have a 64% increase in the risk of a heart related death when compared to those taking another drug or a placebo
- Most attorneys handling Avandia lawsuit cases offer free initial consultations and work on contingency, meaning that you do not have to pay them unless they win or settle your case out of court
Avandia Video News Update from FDA
FDA PATIENT SAFETY NEWS ON AVANDIA: Below is a brief video clip from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning about possible side-effects of the prescription drug Advandia, which is also marketed as Advandamet and Avandaryl.
Avandia Lawsuits
