News for February, 2010

FDA announces it will review studies linking Avandia to heart attacks

fda logo 100x100It’s a long time coming. This week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is reviewing the primary data from a large, long-term clinical study, known as RECORD, on possible cardiovascular risks associated with the drug Avandia (rosiglitazone). The agency said it is also reviewing on an ongoing basis a number of other published observational studies on the cardiovascular safety of the drug. The FDA’s announcement comes on the heels of news that two U.S. senators are asking why the (GSK) drug is still on the market when an FDA oversight board in 2008 urged the agency to pull the drug because it was causing 500 additional heart attacks a month. That request by the oversight board was based on the findings from the RECORD study.

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Senators ask why dangerous Avandia was not pulled from market

avandiabottle 100x100Two U.S. senators are asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) why the drug Avandia is still on the market after an agency oversight board in 2008 urged the agency to remove the (GSK) drug from the market because it was causing 500 additional heart attacks a month. Senators Max Baucus and Charles Crassley said the major drug company even knew about the dangers of but initiated a cover up to keep the drug available to consumers.

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