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Estimates Say Over 83,000 Excess Heart Attacks Caused by Avandia

Jan 14, 2008 | Staff | Injury Board

A November report by the Senate Finance Committee, based on the analysis of a Avandia by FDA scientists, estimates that Avandia has caused around 83,000 excess heart attacks since coming on the market in 1999. The statistics were presented at a July 30, 2007, safety panel meeting of experts to decide if Avandia should remain on the market. The panel did recommend that Avandia Remain on the market, but hit the type-2 diabetes medication with strictest warning the can issue, the infamous "black box" warning.

After hearing a statistic like this I can't believe that Avandia was allowed to remain on the market. The New England Journal of Medicine article that sparked most of the controversy surrounding Avandia has since been reaffirmed by other studies showing similar results, and the FDA has issued an additional "black box" warning for possible increased risk of heart attack associated with Avandia.

Drug-maker GlaxoSmithKline has also been accused of attempting to silence those who spoke out in opposition to Avandia and voiced early concerns about the drug's efficacy and possible dangerous side effects.

The FDA is conducting additional clinical trials in order to determine the accuracy of recent reports and provide greater understanding of the true dangers that can be associated with Avandia.