Avandia is a drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline to help control type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar by helping your body use its own naturual insulin better. Possible side effects of Avandia include heart failure or other heart problems.
Like a lot of middle-aged Americans, Jerry has type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which are controlled by medications considered to be safe and effective in treating these illnesses. Early last year, under his doctor's supervision, Jerry began taking Avandia. Just recently Jerry was told that he has quite bad scarring of his liver, or liver damage. He suspects it could be due to the Avandia. [MORE: AVANDIA LIVER DAMAGE]
Avandia: From Healthy to Heart Attack
Colin H. has type 2 diabetes. He has had diabetes for more than 10 years, and up until recently he controlled his blood sugar levels well with diet and exercise. So well, in fact, he didn't need any medications. But during the past couple of years his blood sugar levels started to increase slightly, so in February 2007 his doctor put him on Avandia. "On May 5, 2007 I had a heart attack," Colin said. [MORE: AVANDIA HEART ATTACK]
Avandia Experiment may have Killed Mom
When Sharon's mom first started taking Avandia for her diabetes, the drug was still experimental. Now, Sharon's mom is dead from congestive heart failure and Sharon herself is worried, after having taken Avandia for more than a year for her own diabetes. [MORE: AVANDIA EXPERIMENT]
Reliving the Terror of Avandia
"The whole Avandia process was not just physically painful but it was like living with a terrorist inside," says Joy. "I never knew from one minute to the next if my eyesight was going or my heart would stop. There was a lot of emotional stress involved." [MORE: RELIVING THE TERROR OF AVANDIA]
Avandia Leaves Mother Fearing for the Well-Being of her Children
When Avandia was prescribed for Kanise, who had diabetes, she had no idea it would so adversely affect her heart and her ability to work. Worse yet, the mother of a three and a four-year-old worries constantly about what will happen to her children if she becomes permanently incapacitated or dies. [MORE: AVANDIA LEAVES MOTHER IN FEAR FOR CHILDREN]
Avandia caused more Harm than Good
Tim Villar, age 38, was prescribed the diabetes drug Avandia to control diabetes 2. It helped lower his blood sugar count but Villar's doctor said it wasn't low enough. Worse, he was born with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) but it never bothered him until his second year on Avandia. Now Villar is worried that he might suffer a heart attack due to this drug. [MORE: AVANDIA MORE HARM THAN GOOD]
Avandia Blamed for Death of otherwise Healthy Diabetic
Theresa is certain that Avandia caused her father's death and was the wrong drug to be prescribed. She said liver specialists confirmed to her that Avandia should never have been give to her now-deceased father. [MORE: AVANDIA BLAMED FOR DEATH OF FATHER]
Wife: Avandia Responsible for Husband's Health Crisis
Marie's husband Steve is living in a nursing home. He has been there since his health seriously declined, following illness, heart attacks and liver and kidney problems. Marie says that Avandia caused Steve's health crisis. [MORE: AVANDIA RESPONSIBLE FOR HUSBANDS BAD HEALTH?]
Avandia: "A Big Risk to Your Heart"
Joyce A. says she did not know that Avandia could cause so many health problems, at least she did not know until her doctor took her off Avandia and put her on another drug. Unfortunately, this happened after she was hospitalized two times with severe chest pains. Although she has started to recover since being taken off Avandia, she says she still experiences some pain. [MORE: AVANDIA IS A HEART RISK]
Nurse's Family Files Avandia Wrongful Death Lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline
Rogelio Larosa and his adult son, Eric, of National City, San Diego County, California, filed a lawsuit on Monday, December 17, 2007, against Philadelphia-based GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK"), the maker of Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate), in U.S. District Court, Southern District of California (San Diego) accusing GSK of causing the wrongful death of a Chula Vista nurse due to its negligence, fraud, breach of warranty and a failure to warn about the risks of its drug, Avandia. [MORE: AVANDIA - WRONGFUL DEATH]
Doctor Warns Patient of Avandia
In February 2007, Morales was put on 4 mgs of Avandia. However, her blood sugar remained out of control and 4 mgs of Avandia was not helping so her dosage was increased to 8 mgs in April. Since then, Morales has been in and out of the hospital with severe chest pains. She says that prior to being given Avandia she never had any heart problems. [MORE: DOCTOR WARNS ABOUT AVANDIA]
Avandia: My Mother's Close Call
"In 2004 my mother was prescribed Avandia--it was a new experimental drug and her doctor recommended it to regulate her blood sugar," says daughter Anne. "But she suffered a heart attack on October 31, 2005 and I believe it was a result of Avandia." [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia Black Box Warning Comes too Late
"I'm not at all surprised that Avandia has been given a black box warning considering what it has done to me," says Helen H, pausing to catch her breath. "I just can't understand why it didn't happen sooner." [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia: Strong Link to Heart Failure
When I saw the ad on television that people were having heart problems from taking Avandia, I realized that my chest pains started shortly after taking this drug. It seems coincidental and I think that Avandia may be linked to these heart issues. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia and heart failure: Did Avandia pave the way to this woman's heart attack?
Karen Trelford was stunned to see a report on television this summer that the diabetes drug Avandia allegedly exposed its users to a 43% higher risk of heart failure and heart attack. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia Warnings might have prevented a Death
Neil Pender's father passed away five years ago from a heart attack and he is angry. "My father started taking Avandia shortly after it was approved in 1999 but we didn't hear about the dangers of this drug until June of this year," says Pender. [MORE AVANDIA]
Avandia Affected Quality of Life
"Right after I took Avandia I got edema in my legs," says Pauline S. "Then I started to get skipped heartbeats but never associated these symptoms to this drug." Fortunately for Pauline, one doctor did know about Avandia's alleged side effects and took her off the drug, maybe in the nick of time. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Patient Prescribed Avandia was Heart Attack Waiting to Happen
I never had any heart problems before taking Avandia. The cardiologist never even questioned my taking Avandia. I heard that there are other drugs on the market that can give the same results as Avandia without these alleged adverse side effects. I am hopeful that my doctor will prescribe something to replace this drug. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia Patients Living on Borrowed Time
"In February 2003, my husband started taking Avandia for diabetes but he had a hard time controlling it," says Catherine. "For a while, John's glucose count dropped but it was short-lived so his insulin was increased and he took 4 mg of Avandia daily. In December of 2005, he needed surgery on his foot and, unbeknownst to me, his dosage was increased to 8mg. He only lasted three months after taking this dosage. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Lawsuit Against GSK Alleges Avandia To Blame For Injury Requiring Heart Bypass Surgery
Pat Kelly and his wife Sandra Kelly of Grove, Oklahoma, filed a lawsuit on February 12, 2008, against Philadelphia-based GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK"), the maker of Avandia, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania - Case 2:08-cv-00667-RK, accusing GSK of causing serious injury to Mr. Kelly due to its negligence, fraud, breach of warranty, negligent pharmaco-vigilance and a failure to warn about the risks of its drug, Avandia. [MORE: LAWSUIT ALLEGES AVANDIA GUILTY FOR HEART INJURY]
FDA Estimates Approximately 83,000 Heart Attacks caused by Avandia
A report released by the Senate Finance Committee in November 2007, stated that an analysis conducted by the FDA that was presented at the safety panel meeting on July 30, 2007 says that approximately 83,000 people suffered heart attacks as a result of taking Avandia. [MORE: AVANDIA ESTIMATED CAUSE OF 83,000 HEART ATTACKS]
Avandia Drug Company GlaxoSmithKline gets a Helping Hand it Didn't Deserve
Avandia's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, got an unfair helping hand while many diabetics just got sicker. The diabetes drug Avandia has been linked to heart attacks and other serious physical ailments. But recently, the drug maker got a shot in its own arm when it received advance notice of a peer-review article that was then-to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That article was to mention adverse safety concerns surrounding the drug Avandia. [MORE: AVANDIA PEER REVIEW]
Avandia: Yet Another Nail in the Coffin
A Canadian study, released yesterday, suggests that for every 100 people taking diabetes drug Avandia over a four-year period—five will die, four will suffer a heart attack and three more will experience heart failure. [MORE: AVANDIA STATISTICS]
Avandia now Linked to Osteoporosis
A diabetic drug that has been linked to heart attack, heart failure, stroke and bone fractures in women, has today been slammed yet again with new research on the role Avandia plays within the context of increased risk for osteoporosis. [MORE: AVANDIA OSTEOPOROSIS]
Lawmakers Warn Drug Makers To Knock It Off After Avandia Debacle - Part II
On November 14, 2007, the FDA added a new black box warning to GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia, about a potential increased risk of heart attacks, in addition to the black box warning that was added in August 2007, about the increased risk of heart failure. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Lawmakers Warn Drug Makers To Knock It Off After Avandia Debacle - Part I
On November 15, 2007, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Charles Grassley, sent a not-so-subtle warning to the pharmaceutical industry when he invited scientists to contact his office if a company threatens their career or attacks their reputation when they raise alarm about a possibly dangerous drug. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia Facing More Limitations
As Avandia's sales drop, more news is coming in that uses of the drug both in the US and internationally are being limited. GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Avandia, already faces numerous lawsuits regarding the drug; sales have fallen drastically and now it appears that even fewer people will have access to Avandia because of safety concerns. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Patients Taking Avandia Say It's Not Worth The Risk
Patients who have stopped taking Avandia because of the drug's side effects say that benefits of Avandia do not outweigh its risks. These patients have suffered serious side effects including heart attacks, heart failure, edema and increased blood pressure. They are now realizing that there are safer drugs that are just as effective as Avandia, if not more so, and are also less expensive. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia Lawsuits Still Being Filed
More and more lawsuits are being filed against GlaxoSmithKline, alleging the company hid the risks associated with its diabetes drug, Avandia, from the public. As more information is released about the increased risk of heart attack and heart failure in patients taking Avandia, more lawsuits will likely be filed. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Of Mice and Men: Avandia and Heart Attacks
A research report published on-line September 6 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation may provide important clues as to why GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia has such a deadly effect on some diabetics. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia heart attack panic pushes Feds to reform the FDA
Just four months after diabetics and their doctors were rudely awakened to the dangers of taking Avandia, Congress passed legislation Sept. 20 boosting the power of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). [MORE: AVANDIA]
Is Avandia Safe? Depends On Who You Talk To
When Dr. David Graham testified at the federal drug panel July 30th, reviewing the fate of diabetes drug Avandia and its alleged relationship to heart attack, stroke and kidney failure, he didn't mince words. [MORE: AVANDIA]
Avandia is a drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline to help control type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar by helping your body use its own naturual insulin better.
Developed in 1999, Avandia has been used by more than 4 million people with type 2 diabetes.
On June 28, 2001 the FDA requested that GSK discontinue distribution of misleading informational materials that minimized the alleged risks of Avandia.
In April 2002, the FDA sent a letter to healthcare providers telling them of changes in the Avandia warning label that now would include the possibility of excess fluid retention and congestive heart failure.
In December 2002, the FDA again asked GSK to revise their warning label to include reports of unusual, rapid increases in weight.
Avandia Warnings
According to the avandia.com website, possible side effects of Avandia can include heart failure or other heart problems. It can cause your body to keep extra fluid, which leads to swelling and weight gain. Extra body fluid can make some heart problems worse or lead to heart failure.
You are warned to consult your doctor before stopping Avandia if you have liver problems. Avandia may increase your risk of pregnancy. Women may become more susceptible to breaking bones. You may also experience vision changes.
You are warned to contact your doctor if you experience shortness of breath or trouble breathing, an unusually rapid increase in weight, or unusual tiredness.
Avandia Press Releases
MAY-02-08: A new report suggests that doctors are continuing to be increasingly concerned with regard to the safety and efficacy of Avandia, with that concern increasing nine-fold since the once-popular GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug blasted into the headlines last spring. [MORE: AVANDIA ONE YEAR LATER]
APR-15-08: In what appears to be an epidemic amongst drug manufacturers, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken Avandia maker GlaxoSmithKline to task for withholding information about the drug long suspected of harboring a higher risk of heart attack than patients on other diabetes drugs. [MORE: AVANDIA CITED BY FDA] APR-10-08: When a drug is vilified as much as diabetes drug Avandia has for the risk of heart attack, one could understand the zeal with which a manufacturer approaches any piece of seemingly good news. This most recent carrot came in the form of a small study, which appears to suggest that Avandia can slow the progression of atherosclerosis in diabetic patients who have undergone cardiac bypass surgery.
[MORE: AVANDIA STUDY INSIGNIFICANT] APR-03-08: A lawsuit of federal proportions is pending in the Texarkana, Texas court against GlaxoSmithKline for adverse effects of Avandia. Avandia is a pill that has been used to treat diabetes as an oral method or medication. Two citizens have filed the lawsuit, a woman from Texas and a man from Arkansas. [MORE: AVANDIA IN COURT]
MAR-30-08: Early in August 2006, Vivian's mother went to the hospital in Edmonton to have some cancer tests done. However, when she arrived the doctors noticed that the left side of her body was swollen. They took her vital signs and noticed her heart was racing. She was admitted to hospital that day, and on further testing the doctors discovered that her heart was enlarged as well. Over the next few days the doctors were unable to bring Vivian's mother's heart rate under control and she died. [MORE: AVANDIA KILLED] FEB-16-08: On February 12, 2008, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Pat and Sandra Kelly of Grove, Oklahoma against GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of the poplar diabetes drug, Avandia. [MORE: AVANDIA LAW SUIT]
DEC-10-07: A further sign that a diabetes drug linked to heart attack and heart failure is in trouble, was the news yesterday that two major drug benefit plans in the US have pulled Avandia from their formularies. Scores of physicians have recalled their patients from Avandia in recent months, and sales have been plummeting. [MORE: AVANDIA DUMPED]
DEC-07-07: What a difference a few months can make. In spite of warnings, doubts and red flags concerning Avandia and the Avandia recall that date as far back as 1999, the diabetes drug continued to be doing well through the first half of the year. [MORE: AVANDIA BLOCKBUSTER] NOV-19-07: A noted physician who has been warning about the dangerous side effects of Avandia since 1999, and who was the target of alleged intimidation by Avandia manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (Glaxo) (GSK), was vindicated Thursday by the US Senate Finance Committee. [MORE: AVANDIA]
NOV-18-07: As some had predicted, GlaxoSmithKline caved to sustained pressure by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and agreed to add a second black box warning for Avandia, the diabetes drug linked to increased risk of heart attack. [MORE: AVANDIA]
NOV-14-07: While Avandia has proven to be a drag on public relations, and the bottom line for GlaxoSmithKline, the troubled diabetic drug's propensity for causing heart attack and weight gain is not causing the British drug manufacturer any undue hardship. [MORE: AVANDIA]
NOV-06-07: The rocky and remarkable history of Avandia, and its impact on diabetes patients just keeps getting more interesting, and more unsettling now that it has been revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is pushing hard for a second black box warning. [MORE: AVANDIA] NOV-05-07: US Food and Drug Administration officials are now pushing for a second black box warning to be added to Avandia's label. Avandia currently carries a black box warning for heart failure; however, the FDA wants a second warning about the risks of heart attack. [MORE: AVANDIA]
OCT-01-07: Yet another study has confirmed that the diabetes drug Avandia raises the risk of heart failure. The study adds fuel to the growing controversy about whether or not Avandia should still be available for diabetes patients. [MORE: AVANDIA] SEP-26-07: Patients taking Avandia do not necessarily have to wait a long time to feel the drug's negative effects. Some people are reporting that they suffered adverse reactions to Avandia within the first few months of taking the drug. Lawsuits have been filed both in the U.S. and internationally against the maker of Avandia, alleging the company knew about the risks associated with the diabetes drug but failed to warn the public or doctors about those risks. [ MORE: AVANDIA]
AUG-19-07: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Avandia, a controversial diabetes drug, will now carry a strong black box warning on its label. The new label will advise patients of the alleged increased risk of heart failure associated with taking the drug. [ MORE: AVANDIA ]
AUG-15-07: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been bombarded with reports of alleged heart attacks, heart failure, and heart-related hospitalizations in diabetics taking Avandia since May 21, the day the New England Journal of Medicine published Dr. Steven Nissen's startling analysis of the drug on the Internet. [ MORE:AVANDIA ]
AUG-13-07: The diabetes drug Avandia, made by GlaxoSmithKline, hit the news with a bang Jun 14, 2007, when the influential New England Journal of Medicine published a study by heart expert Dr. Steven E. Nissen showing that patients taking the drug allegedly had a 43% increase in heart attack risk. [ MORE: AVANDIA ]
AUG-12-07: Douglas Arbesfeld, the pharmaceutical industry's mole inside the FDA, recently revealed his existence quite by accident when he attempted to destroy the reputation of cardiologist Dr Steve Nissen by sending a malicious email to reporters after Dr Nissen published a study that alleged the diabetes drug Avandia increased the risk of heart attack and death. [ MORE: AVANDIA ] AUG-01-07: On July 20, 2007, Science Daily reported that little evidence supports using Avandia to improve the quality or lengthen of life among adults with diabetes, citing a systematic review of data by German researchers. [ MORE: AVANDIA ]
AUG-01-07: Researchers analyzed more than 78,000 patients taking Avandia and a similar diabetes drug (Actos). Based on their findings, the researchers allege that a staggering one in 50 patients taking the drugs over a 26-month period will require hospital admission due to heart failure. [ MORE: AVANDIA ] JUL-30-07: The FDA issued a pubic health alert stating: "Safety data from controlled clinical trials have shown that there is a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia." [ MORE: AVANDIA ]
JAN-16-08: A woman has filed a lawsuit alleging Avandia caused her cardiac injury. The plaintiff seeks damages for personal injury and economic losses. [RECORD: AVANDIA]
JAN-8-08: A new Canadian study has found that patients over the age of 65 that have taken Avandia are at a higher risk for heart problems and death. [APP: AVANDIA]
DEC-13-07: GlaxoSmithKline has lost more than 33 percent of Avandia's sales since a report linked the drug to heart attacks. The risk of heart attacks has also made people less willing to volunteer for drug trials. [BLOOMBERG: AVANDIA]
DEC-13-07: A new study has found that use of Avandia may raise the risk of congestive heart failure by 60% and the risk of myocardial infarction by 40%. The study also found that Avandia may increase the risk of death by 29% compared with other oral hypoglcaemic agent combination therapies. [NURSING TIMES: AVANDIA]
DEC-09-07: A study by Consumer Reports found that Avandia's sales increased by 20 percent when GlaxoSmithKline spent $52 million on advertising for the drug, but older drugs are cheaper and equally effective. [COURANT: AVANDIA]
DEC-06-07: Two US pharmacy benefit managers have dropped Avandia from their national formularies due to safety concerns. [GUARDIAN: AVANDIA]
DEC-03-07: Avandia, previously linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, has now been linked to osteoporosis. According to researchers, Avandia not only slows bone growth but also speeds up bone loss. [WEB MD: AVANDIA]
NOV-15-07: GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to add a "black box" warning to their Avandia label citing the drug's association with increased risk of cause heart attacks. [WALL STREET JOURNAL: AVANDIA]
OCT-24-07: The FDA is pushing for a second black box warning for the Avandia label. A second label is considered the strongest warning issued by the FDA. This new warning would advise users of the risk of heart attack while taking the medication. [REUTERS: AVANDIA HEART ATTACK]
SEP-30-07: An Arkansas man has filed a lawsuit against the makers of Avandia alleging that the drug caused him cardiac problems. The suit states that GlaxoSmithKline did not offer enough information regarding the potential heart problems Avandia could cause. [GAZETTE: AVANDIA LAWSUIT]
SEP-19-07: A recent report has uncovered more bad news for Avandia. The study by University of Washington researchers has found that diabetic women taking the drug are at more risk for bone fractures. They were found to be twice as likely to suffer from a break than women taking a generic diabetes medication. [BLOOMBERG: AVANDIA]
Avandia Legal Help
If you reside in Canada, please [click here] for the Canadian complaint form.
US residents: If you or a family member have used Avandia and have suffered heart attack or liver damage after taking Avandia, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer who will review your claim at no cost or obligation.
Like a lot of middle-aged Americans, Jerry has type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which are controlled by medications considered to be safe and effective in treating these illnesses. Early last year, under his doctor's supervision, Jerry began taking Avandia. Just recently Jerry was told that he has quite bad scarring of his liver, or liver damage. He suspects it could be due to the Avandia. [
"The whole Avandia process was not just physically painful but it was like living with a terrorist inside," says Joy. "I never knew from one minute to the next if my eyesight was going or my heart would stop. There was a lot of emotional stress involved." [
Tim Villar, age 38, was prescribed the diabetes drug Avandia to control diabetes 2. It helped lower his blood sugar count but Villar's doctor said it wasn't low enough. Worse, he was born with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) but it never bothered him until his second year on Avandia. Now Villar is worried that he might suffer a heart attack due to this drug. [
Rogelio Larosa and his adult son, Eric, of National City, San Diego County, California, filed a lawsuit on Monday, December 17, 2007, against Philadelphia-based GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK"), the maker of Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate), in U.S. District Court, Southern District of California (San Diego) accusing GSK of causing the wrongful death of a Chula Vista nurse due to its negligence, fraud, breach of warranty and a failure to warn about the risks of its drug, Avandia. [
"In 2004 my mother was prescribed Avandia--it was a new experimental drug and her doctor recommended it to regulate her blood sugar," says daughter Anne. "But she suffered a heart attack on October 31, 2005 and I believe it was a result of Avandia." [
When I saw the ad on television that people were having heart problems from taking Avandia, I realized that my chest pains started shortly after taking this drug. It seems coincidental and I think that Avandia may be linked to these heart issues. [
Neil Pender's father passed away five years ago from a heart attack and he is angry. "My father started taking Avandia shortly after it was approved in 1999 but we didn't hear about the dangers of this drug until June of this year," says Pender. [
I never had any heart problems before taking Avandia. The cardiologist never even questioned my taking Avandia. I heard that there are other drugs on the market that can give the same results as Avandia without these alleged adverse side effects. I am hopeful that my doctor will prescribe something to replace this drug. [
"In February 2003, my husband started taking Avandia for diabetes but he had a hard time controlling it," says Catherine. "For a while, John's glucose count dropped but it was short-lived so his insulin was increased and he took 4 mg of Avandia daily. In December of 2005, he needed surgery on his foot and, unbeknownst to me, his dosage was increased to 8mg. He only lasted three months after taking this dosage. [
Pat Kelly and his wife Sandra Kelly of Grove, Oklahoma, filed a lawsuit on February 12, 2008, against Philadelphia-based GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK"), the maker of Avandia, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania - Case 2:08-cv-00667-RK, accusing GSK of causing serious injury to Mr. Kelly due to its negligence, fraud, breach of warranty, negligent pharmaco-vigilance and a failure to warn about the risks of its drug, Avandia. [
Avandia's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, got an unfair helping hand while many diabetics just got sicker. The diabetes drug Avandia has been linked to heart attacks and other serious physical ailments. But recently, the drug maker got a shot in its own arm when it received advance notice of a peer-review article that was then-to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That article was to mention adverse safety concerns surrounding the drug Avandia. [
APR-10-08: When a drug is vilified as much as diabetes drug Avandia has for the risk of heart attack, one could understand the zeal with which a manufacturer approaches any piece of seemingly good news. This most recent carrot came in the form of a small study, which appears to suggest that Avandia can slow the progression of atherosclerosis in diabetic patients who have undergone cardiac bypass surgery.
[
APR-03-08: A lawsuit of federal proportions is pending in the Texarkana, Texas court against GlaxoSmithKline for adverse effects of Avandia. Avandia is a pill that has been used to treat diabetes as an oral method or medication. Two citizens have filed the lawsuit, a woman from Texas and a man from Arkansas. [
FEB-16-08: On February 12, 2008, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Pat and Sandra Kelly of Grove, Oklahoma against GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of the poplar diabetes drug, Avandia. [
NOV-19-07: A noted physician who has been warning about the dangerous side effects of Avandia since 1999, and who was the target of alleged intimidation by Avandia manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (Glaxo) (GSK), was vindicated Thursday by the US Senate Finance Committee. [
NOV-05-07: US Food and Drug Administration officials are now pushing for a second black box warning to be added to Avandia's label. Avandia currently carries a black box warning for heart failure; however, the FDA wants a second warning about the risks of heart attack. [
SEP-26-07: Patients taking Avandia do not necessarily have to wait a long time to feel the drug's negative effects. Some people are reporting that they suffered adverse reactions to Avandia within the first few months of taking the drug. Lawsuits have been filed both in the U.S. and internationally against the maker of Avandia, alleging the company knew about the risks associated with the diabetes drug but failed to warn the public or doctors about those risks. [ 
AUG-15-07: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been bombarded with reports of alleged heart attacks, heart failure, and heart-related hospitalizations in diabetics taking Avandia since May 21, the day the New England Journal of Medicine published Dr. Steven Nissen's startling analysis of the drug on the Internet. [ 
AUG-01-07: On July 20, 2007, Science Daily reported that little evidence supports using Avandia to improve the quality or lengthen of life among adults with diabetes, citing a systematic review of data by German researchers. [ 
JUL-30-07: The FDA issued a pubic health alert stating: "Safety data from controlled clinical trials have shown that there is a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia." [ 