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A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on May 21, 2007 shows that diabetics actually may do more harm than good by using leading medication Avandia. "Effect of Rosiglitazone [Avandia] on the Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Death from Cardiovascular Causes" is a retrospective study investigating signs of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events in patients using Avandia.

With this in mind, you may need an Avandia lawyer from Jim S. Adler & Associates to seek compensation for your Avandia heart attack via an Avandia lawsuit.

The researchers only looked at Avandia studies that met three conditions: the study had to take place over 24 weeks or more, the study had to have a group that took a placebo only (a “control” group) and the study had to have recorded data regarding cardiovascular events. Of the 116 possibly-relevant Avandia studies the researchers found, 42 met these conditions.

The researchers identified 158 cases of heart attack among the participants in all clinical trials, 61 of which resulted in death. By comparing the number of “cardiovascular events” among those taking Avandia versus the placebo group, the study found that taking Avandia raised the risk of heart attack by 30-40%. The irony is that diabetics are generally at higher risk for a heart attack; Avandia was designed to prevent heart attack and other health complications brought on with diabetes by treating the chronic disease itself.

In an editorial published in the same issue of the NEJM, Drs. Bruce M. Psaty and Curt D. Furberg note that the data is not conclusive for several reasons including the small sample size, the fact that the studies reviewed were not necessarily looking for safety data, and that the studies were not generally long term. However, this underlines what the NEJM and other scientists have been saying for years: that drug companies like GlaxoKlineSmith (the maker of Avandia) need to spend more time evaluating the safety of the drugs they produce and sell.

“Insofar as the findings… represent a valid estimate of the risk of cardiovascular events, [Avandia] represents a major failure of the drug-use and drug-approval processes in the United States,” the editorial states. Part of the problem may be the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) itself, but ultimately the responsibility for the safety and effectiveness of each drug remains with the manufacturer.

If you or a loved one has experienced heart attack or other cardiovascular conditions while taking Avandia, contact Jim S. Adler & Associates as soon as possible. We may be able to help you get a fair settlement to cover your hospital and doctor bills and any lost wages, and compensate you for your pain and suffering. The fact that Avandia may actually increase the risk of one of the health conditions it is trying to prevent – and the fact that its maker GlaxoKlineSmith didn’t warn you about it – may be seen as negligence in a court of law.

Contact an Avandia attorney with Jim S. Adler & Associates today. The law firm offers a free case review, which you can submit by calling or by going online, in either case giving us details of your Avandia-related heart attack. Contact an Avandia lawyer with Jim S. Adler & Associates today.

DISCLAIMER: The Jim S. Adler & Associates law firm, located at 3D/International Tower, 1900 West Loop South, 20th Floor, Houston, Texas 77027, is licensed to practice in Texas. But the law firm also works in conjunction with outside counsel and local attorneys to litigate claims in other states, as is necessary, including the states of:

Jim S. Adler & Associates also has offices at City Place Building, 2711 North Haskell Ave., Suite 2100 LB40, Dallas, Texas 75204-2887; Bank of America, 12605 East Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77015-5619 (serving Channelview, Texas); and San Pedro Plaza, 7330 San Pedro Ave., Suite 700, San Antonio, Texas 78216-6237.

AVANDIA ARTICLES...

PPH can be serious side effect of Avandia

Americans with diabetes could be at risk for primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), said to be a serious side effect of Avandia, a top diabetic drug used to treat the Type-2 form of the disease, according to some concerned scientists and medical experts. Twenty million Americans have diabetes, and the number is growing by 6% a year. Reports about Avandia's serious side effects are a shocker. PPH is a rare condition, considered to be a precursor of congestive heart failure, a fatal ailment. PPH causes small blood vessels that supply blood to the lungs to tighten up. The heart pumps harder as it becomes more difficult to push blood into the lungs, eventually causing it to stiffen and enlarge.

Scientists dispute Avandia claims

The study published in the May 21, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has launched a firestorm of "he said, she said" in the global scientific community. Some say that the NEJM study is a wakeup call for the way drugs are regulated in this country. With the recent increase of falsified, manipulated, and omitted data in several drug company research studies over the last decade and the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) inability to effectively regulate prescription medication once it is on the market, doctors and even consumers are looking to third-party sources like medical journals to help them decide which drugs are "safe" and which are not.

FDA seeks 'Black Box' warning for Avandia, Actos

During the June 2007 congressional hearing into the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) approval process of the diabetes drug Avandia , FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach announced that the agency was seeking a “Black Box” warning for both Avandia and competitor Actos – but not for heart attack risk, as some had hoped. Instead, the FDA has determined that these drugs can lead to fluid buildup in the body, and that in turn can lead to congestive heart failure. Although that's still serious and can result in death, it is a much different condition than a heart attack, which also has been linked to Avandia use.

Avandia's heart attack risk often 'silenced'

When a congressional hearing into the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its approval process for Avandia opened on June 6, 2007, one of the recurring themes was how Avandia manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (formerly Smith Kline Beecham) and the FDA seemingly conspired to “silence” critics of the drug. Dr. John Buse, incoming president of the American Diabetes Association and one of the first people to question the safety of Avandia, testified before the hearing that he was pressured to stop talking about it.

Should patients stop taking Avandia?

With an Avandia study published in the May 21, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that links the drug with heart attack, many patients are wondering whether they should stop taking the drug. Hundreds of reports from across the country suggest that consumers are flooding their doctors with questions and concerns about the new report.

Did Journal rush to judgment on Avandia?

When the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a new study in May 2007 that showed an increased risk of heart attack for diabetics being treated with Avandia, reports of panic swept the media. But some say that the panic itself was media-born, though ultimately it was the highly respected medical journal that irresponsibly planted the seed.

Avandia study yields doubts about drug

Since publication of the New England Journal of Medicine report linking GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia with an increased risk of heart attack and heart-related death, debate has centered on potential weaknesses of the study's 'meta-analysis', a view supported by GSK. However, the safety concerns still could damage sales of the drug, potentially dragging down the company's overall revenue performance.