New York City Avandia Recall Lawyer
Avandia is a prescription medicine, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline based in Triangle Park, North Carolina, and is used to treat type 2 (“adult-onset” or “non-insulin dependent” diabetes mellitus (“high blood sugar”). Avandia can be used alone but is frequently used with other medications. Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person does not make enough insulin or does not respond normally to the insulin their body makes. When this occurs, sugar (glucose) builds up in their blood. The active ingredient in Avandia is rosiglitazone maleate. Avandia was the best-selling diabetes pill in 2006, generating a reported $3.3 billion in revenue worldwide. It was approved for sale by the FDA in 1999 for type 2 diabetes which impacts about 18 to 20 million Americans.
Have you or someone you know suffered from Avandia, Avandamet or Avandaryl?
On May 21, 2007, an article appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine by Cleveland Clinic researchers who linked Avandia to a 43 percent increased risk of heart attacks and a 64% increased risk of death from cardiac related causes. The study was based on 15,560 patients who took the drug and a control group of 12,283 who received placebos or other drugs. The FDA then issued a safety alert regarding Avandia.
On August 14, 2007, the FDA issued an alert which included a new Black Boxed Warning (Warnings, Precautions, and Contraindications) on Avandia, Avandamet, and Avandaryl to emphasize that rosiglitazone may cause or exacerbate heart failure, particularly in certain patient populations.
On November 9, 2007, Canadian Regulators (Health Canada) restricted Avandia because of concern about the diabetes drug’s potential to damage the heart. Health Canada indicated that Avandia should be used primarily with a second drug, metformin, and was no longer approved for use with other common diabetes treatments such as sulfonylureas or insulin. They also indicated that patients with heart failure should not take the drug. Avandia has been in use in Canada for seven years, and according to IMS Health Canada estimates that in 2006, Canadian pharmacies dispensed over 14 million prescriptions of Avandia.
A Texas family recently filed a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline alleging that Avandia played a role in the death of a 60 year old man who died the same day that the study was published. The victim, Larry Stanford, died of a heart attack after taking Avandamet, a form of Avandia combined with another diabetes drug, for over two years. The lawsuit claims that the drug company failed to adequately warn its users about the risks associated with using Avandia. Mr. Stanford’s widow alleges that the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline tallied $2.2 billion in sales in Avandia by hiding from the public and the medical community data it had since at least September 2005 showing problems with the drug’s “safety profile” and that it had knowledge of the “various studies” allegedly showing an increased heart attack risk with Avandia.
If you are currently taking Avandia, you should not discontinue taking the drug without speaking to your doctor. If however, you have a history of heart problems or liver disorders, you should contact your doctor to determine the appropriate course of action.
If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack or cardiac related death after taking Avandia, Avandamet or Avandaryl, you may be entitled to receive monetary compensation for your injuries and damages. Please contact us for a free initial consultation with an attorney regarding your matter. You can also call us directly at 212-725-8500 toll free.
Have you or someone you know suffered a heart attack or cardiac related death from Avandia, Avandamet or Avandaryl? You may have a legal claim if the Avandia, Avandamet or Avandaryl caused your loved one’s heart attack or death. Contact us today!
