Tequin By the Numbers
1%—Elderly patients taking Tequin who are hospitalized.
4—Serious side effects of Tequin: Blood sugar changes, allergic reactions, central nervous system side effects and pain, inflammation or rupture of tendons.
4—Times older people taking Tequin are hospitalized for low blood sugar, compared with those not taking the drug.
6—Common side effects of Tequin: Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, dizziness and headache.
17—Times older people taking Tequin are hospitalized for high blood sugar, compared with those not taking the drug.
20—Deaths associated with Tequin since its debut in 2000.
400—Cases of blood sugar irregularities linked to Tequin between 2000 and 2005.
$200,000—Class action Tequin lawsuit filed in Canada, alleging Bristol-Myers Squibb did not properly inform patients of risks of the drug.
1.7 million—Prescriptions for Tequin filled in 2003, after FDA began receiving reports of deaths linked to the drug; 40% decline from 2002.
3 million—Prescriptions for Tequin filled in 2002.
$150 million—Per year in global sales of Tequin, prior to Bristol-Myers Squibbs’ announcement in May 2006 that it would no longer make and sell the drug.