Contact the personal injury attorneys at Phillips & Associates for a free evaluation of your Avandia® claim.
On May 21, 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine, considered the most important medical review magazine in the world, published an article by renowned cardiologist Dr. Stephen Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic. In the article, Dr. Nissen stated that the use of Avandia® may increase the risk of certain cardiovascular injuries, such as heart attack and stroke.
As a result of Dr. Nissen’s article, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a formal safety alert warning patients and doctors of the potential increased risk of heart-related injuries caused by Avandia®. If you or a loved one has sustained any of the following injuries while taking Avandia®, or another diabetes drug such as Avandamet® or Avandaryl®, you may need an attorney.
In the studies examined by Dr. Nissen for his report, the increased risk of CHF was determined to be about 700 percent while that of heart attack and stroke was determined to be approximately 50 percent.
An escalating number of publications suggest that thiazolidinediones (TZDs), the class of drugs to which Avandia® belongs, may have a negative effect on the skeleton. The makers of Avandia® and another TZD called Actos have both issued letters to health care providers, warning that these medications may cause an increased risk of bone fracture in women. The type of fracture being considered is not caused by trauma to the body, but occurs simply for no known reason.
While Avandia® does improve control of blood sugar, the drug’s effects on bone structure are just beginning to be understood. The maker of Avandia® did not issue any warnings about this particular side effect even though the proof of the problem came from the company’s own study.
In December 2006, the ADOPT trial reported a higher risk of fractures in diabetic women taking Avandia® than in women randomized to metformin or glyburide (two other diabetes drugs). The ADOPT trial indicated the proportion of women reporting a fracture was 9.3 percent for Avandia®, 5.1 percent for metformin, and 3.5 percent for glyburide. To the scientists, this meant that Avandia® posed a significantly higher risk of causing fractures in women.
This study points up the fact that diabetic women who use Avandia® and already have weakened bones (a condition known as osteoporosis) may be more vulnerable to bone fractures than women who take the other diabetic medicines.
Avandia® has been linked to a number of other possible side effects, including the following, which are listed on the FDA’s website:
The attorneys at Phillips & Associates can help if you or a loved one has been injured as a result of using Avandia®. Contact us today to arrange a free consultation.