Avandia News
Judge pushes to resolve nearly 20K Avandia lawsuits
A U.S. District Judge has assigned a mediator to resolve almost 20,000 Avandia lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer. Judge Cynthia Rufe has given the mediator 75 days to resolve at least 85% of the claims against GlaxoSmithKline before she begins fast-tracking cases to court. More »
Drugmaker to pay $3 billion to settle Avandia, Paxil lawsuits
British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will pay more than $3 billion to settle a range of allegations related to its products. The company manufactures the popular antidepressant Paxil as well as the diabetes drug Avandia. More »
Judge denies GSK’s motion to dismiss Avandia lawsuits
A Pennsylvania judge has denied GlaxoSmithKline’s motion to dismiss more than 60 Avandia lawsuits. GSK unsuccessful argued that the cases exceeded the state’s statue of limitations. More »
Diabetes drugs Byetta, Januvia linked to cancer risk
A new study has found that diabetes patients taking the drugs Januvia or Byetta may be three times more likely to develop pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. Researchers also discovered a possible increased risk of thyroid cancer among Byetta users. More »
New study finds Avandia, Actos fracture risk
A July 2010 study has found that patients taking the diabetes drugs Avandia or Actos may be at an increased risk of bone fractures. According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Avandia and Actos increased the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women with Type 2 diabetes, as well as in men prescribed either drug plus a loop diuretic. More »
Health Canada announces new Avandia restrictions
In November 2010, Canada’s top health agency announced new restrictions on the diabetes drug Avandia due to its association with heart problems. In a press release, Health Canada stated that patients taking Avandia may be at an increased risk of heart failure, chest pain, heart attacks or fluid retention. More »
FDA review of Avandia’s health risks is welcome news for patients, says Hissey Kientz, LLP
The law firm of Hissey Kientz, LLP wishes to commend the Food and Drug Administration for its ongoing safety review of the health risks associated with the type-2 diabetes drug Avandia. The agency is currently reviewing whether to remove Avandia from the U.S. market after an FDA advisory panel voted to place new restrictions on its use and to make revisions to the warning label that accompanies the drug. More »
Study uncovers potential Avandia liver failure risk
An analysis of adverse events reported to the Food and Drug Administration has uncovered 11 deaths due to liver toxicity among patients taking the diabetes drug Avandia. The consumers group Public Citizen, which conducted the analysis, estimates that because few side effects cases are reported to the FDA, the actual number of patients who developed liver failure after using Avandia could be much higher. More »
FDA panel calls for increased testing of diabetes drugs
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel says that the agency should require stricter testing of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes in order to ensure that they do not increase the risk of heart problems. In a 14-2 vote, the panel concluded that these drugs need to undergo long-term cardiovascular trials, even in cases when initial studies show no increased risk of heart problems.
Researchers halt diabetes drug trial over deaths
Federal health investigators have halted part of a large-scale clinical trial on type 2 diabetes treatments after learning that patients who were aggressively treated to lower blood sugar levels suffered an unexpectedly high number of deaths. Out of more than 10,000 patients involved in the trial, 257 deaths were reported among the aggressive treatment group, 21% more than the group that received the regular treatment.