The diabetes drug Avandia is linked with as many as 83,000 heart attacks over the last several years. The manufactuer of Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline, may have known of the risks for years but worked to keep them from the public, according to a government report released February 20, 2010.
The 334-page Senate Finance Committee report also criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), saying that the federal agency that regulates food, tobacco and medications overlooked or ignored safety concerns found by its staff. If you have been injured by this drug, please contact us.
CNN reported on February 20, 2010 that "According to the Senate report:
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FDA scientists estimated in July 2007 that Avandia was associated with approximately 83,000 heart attacks since the drug came to market.
"Had GSK considered Avandia's potential increased cardiovascular risk more seriously when the issue was first raised in 1999 ... some of these heart attacks may have been avoided," the report states.
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GlaxoSmithKline undertook attempts to undermine information critical of Avandia.
"GSK executives attempted to intimidate independent physicians, focused on strategies to minimize or misrepresent findings that Avandia may increase cardiovascular risk and sought ways to downplay findings that a competing drug might reduce cardiovascular risk," the report says.
As an example, committee investigators say they found that GlaxoSmithKline experts verified an outside study showing the cardiac problem, but the company publicly attacked the findings as incorrect.
- Two FDA safety officials sounded a clear alarm in October 2008 writing, "There is strong evidence that rosiglitazone [Avandia] confers an increased risk of [heart attacks] and heart failure compared to pioglitazone [rival drug on market]." They concluded and trials comparing the two would be "unethical and exploitive." Yet, the trial is still under way, the senators say."
