Missouri Avandia Heart Attack Lawyers
In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Avandia for diabetes patients who needed a medication to control their blood sugar. Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, became one of the most popular diabetes medications in the world, and studies indicated that it might even prevent diabetes in patients who were in the preliminary stages of the disease.
In 2006, however, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic noticed that studies of Avandia didn't just show that the drug might prevent diabetes. They also showed that patients who were taking Avandia were suffering heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular disease-related deaths at a much higher rate than people who were not taking Avandia. In May 2007, the same cardiologist published a review of 42 separate Avandia studies. The review concluded that patients taking Avandia were 43 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease than patients who weren't taking it. The study results convinced the FDA to publish a safety alert explaining the risks of Avandia.
GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Avandia, countered the May 2007 study with one of their own, published in June 2007. GlaxoSmithKline's study said that Avandia did not increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, the conflicting evidence convinced the U.S. House of Representatives to begin investigating the damage caused by Avandia. The FDA also ordered the manufacturer to put a "black box warning" on Avandia labels.
In 2010, a study of 227,000 Avandia patients concluded that for every 60 people who were taking Avandia, one person suffered a heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease who would likely have been fine if he or she had not been taking the medication. The FDA limited the use of Avandia to patients with type 2 diabetes who had been unable to control their blood sugar by taking other medications.
Meanwhile, a study published in the British Medical Journal in March 2011 found that Avandia use led to a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure than Actos, another medication used to control blood sugar. The researchers who conducted the study estimated that, for every 100,000 patients who used Avandia, up to 170 have heart attacks, 649 suffer congestive heart failure, and 431 patients die of a heart-related condition or a stroke.
Despite the mounting evidence that the risks of taking Avandia outweigh the benefits, however, Avandia is still available for sale in the United States, and doctors continue to prescribe Avandia to patients, although the number of prescriptions has dropped dramatically in the past few years.
So far, GlaxoSmithKline has settled with many families whose loved ones were injured or killed by an Avandia-related heart attack or stroke. The total settlement amount the company has paid is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, the company has not yet come close to compensating every patient who has been injured by the drug and every family who has lost a loved one to an Avandia-induced heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular disease, or congestive heart failure.
If you or someone you love suffered a heart attack or stroke while taking Avandia, please don't hesitate to contact the St. Louis personal injury attorneys at Page Law. We will help you understand your legal rights and options and fight for the compensation you and your family deserve. Call us 24 hours a day at (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
