Drugmaker Settles Avandia Heart Attack Lawsuit Prior to Trial

Philadelphia, PADrugmaker GlaxoSmithKline recently settled an Avandia heart attack lawsuit just before it was scheduled to go to trial, Reuters reports.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">According to a spokeswoman for the company, the settlement also means that two other cases involving the diabetes drug Avandia filed in Philadelphia have been resolved. The spokeswoman did not detail the terms of the settlement, the news source said.

The lawsuit reportedly involved James Burford, who died of a heart attack in 2006. The case was the first of its kind set to go to trial in federal court, and potentially could have cost Britain's largest drugmaker a significant sum of money if Burford's family had won.

Avandia, which was the company's second-biggest drug at one time, was linked to a risk of heart attack in 2007, which led to sharp decrease in sales. The company has reportedly decided to cease promotion of the treatment, and sales of Avandia are expected to drop even more this year, according to the news source.

Other side effects of Avandia can include weakness, pale skin and sudden changes in behavior, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.