Avandia
Avandia was developed by the GlaxoSmith Kline Company to help control type 2 Diabetes. It is not recommended for patients with Type 1 diabetes because it is activated by the body's natural insulin levels. It is meant to be used in conjunction with a diabetic diet, an exercise program and additional medication, such as Metformin, if needed.
It was approved by the FDA in 1999 as a treatment for type 2 Diabetes. Almost 20 million Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes and that number seems to increase every year. The side effects of this illness are heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and neuropathy which can result in amputated limbs.
While the effects of diabetes carry its own risk factors, many of the warnings that showed that the use of Avandia increased heart problems were overlooked. It was deemed riskier to switch the medications of diabetics than to give any credence to preliminary tests.
But the FDA began monitoring Avandia since it was approved because of the results of clinical trials that showed an increase in heart problems. With each bit of confirmed information the FDA updated their warning labels on the medication. The most recent warning in 2006 warned users about the increased risk of heart attacks and heart related chest pain in some Avandia users.
In 2007, a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed that after a review of 42 studies of over 14,000 people, Avandia users had 43 percent more heart attacks than those taking placebos. As a result of these findings the FDA requested a black box warning be added to Avandia packaging. This is the most serious form of warning issued by the FDA. The current label warns users of the risk of increased heart failure and other cardiac dangers.
This information is significant in that patients with Type 2 diabetes are already at risk for heart problems so increasing those chances by over 40 percent makes this medication dangerous to take. Besides increased risk of heart disease, Avandia comes with an additional host of side effects, not all of them as life threatening as cardiac problems. More recently, Avandia has been shown to be responsible for an increase in bone fractures and even osteoporosis as it interferes with the replenishment of bone cells of the body.
If you or someone in your family has used or still uses Avandia and has had any side effects or heart problems as a result of using it, please contact the attorneys here at Napoli Bern Ripka Law Firm. If you live in New York you can make an appointment to come to our office, which is located in the Empire State building. We also have offices throughout the country. We are committed to helping our clients realize the justice that they deserve.
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