Plaintiffs In Avandia Lawsuit Ordered To Submit Medical Records

Philadelphia, PAA District Judge in Eastern Pennsylvania has ordered the release of medical records for plaintiffs filing suit against pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) stemming from Avandia side effects.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe is presiding over the multidistrict litigation (MDL) and has requested that all plaintiffs in the nearly 550 lawsuits filed over the medication submit their previous medical records or face dismissal of their claims.

Plaintiffs in the cases claim that GSK has failed to warn users of the side effects of the anti-diabetic drug, which can include an increased risk of heart attacks, bone fractures and liver failure.

Troubles with the medication began in 2001 when the FDA ordered GSK to discontinue its ad campaign under allegations of misleading clients. The company has since faced a series of FDA rulings against Avandia culminating in a 2008 diabetes trial that revealed an increased risk of death in patients with low blood sugar.

Judge Rufe is currently ruling over pre-trial litigations, and the first Avandia cases are expected to go to trial as early as the summer.