Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

connection between avandia and heart attacks prompts fda safety alert

As many as 100,000 heart attacks may be linked to Avandia, according to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) in a floor statement placed in the Senate record on May 24, 2007.

Avandia, sold by the British company GlaxoSmithKline PLC, is a blockbuster medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. More than 6 million people worldwide have taken the drug, whose U.S. sales topped $2.2 billion last year.

Analysis led by Cleveland Clinic cardiology chief Dr. Steven Nissen of 42 separate studies on Avandia concluded that it raised the risk of heart attacks by 43 percent, compared to the rates among people taking no or other diabetes drugs. The analysis also indicated that Avandia might increase the risk of heart-related deaths.

Any increase in heart attack risk is especially worrisome for diabetics because two-thirds of them die of heart problems.

About 1 million Americans are currently taking Avandia, which costs from $90 to $170 for a one-month supply.

The FDA and diabetes experts are advising users of Avandia to talk to their doctors and not to immediately discontinue the drug.

Learn more about Avandia side effects.

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If you or a loved one have suffered serious side effects while taking Avandia, if you have been diagnosed with blood clots, heart attack, or stroke, or if you are experiencing the symptoms associated with any of these serious side effects, you may have a claim against the manufacturer of Avandia.

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