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Avandia Liver Failure Injury Lawyers

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At its peak in 2006, 13.2 million people had taken Avandia.  But by 2008, concerns over side effects had caused that number to fall to 4.6 million.  In October 2008, safety worries prompted the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes to unanimously advise against using Avandia.  Still, an estimated 10,000 prescriptions are written for Avandia in the U.S. every day.  Our Avandia injury lawyers believe this drug has the potential to injure, and even kill, thousands of people.

Avandia and Liver Failure

The Avandia injury lawyers at our firm are currently investigating potential lawsuits against GlaxoSmithKline on behalf of victims of Avandia-induced liver failure.  In October 2008, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen petitioned the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to remove Avandia from the U.S. market because of its association with liver failure.

Public Citizen petitioned the FDA after the group identified 14 cases of Avandia-induced liver failure, including 12 deaths. These cases were derived from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System after Public Citizen reviewed the agency’s MedWatch forms, which are submitted to the agency when adverse drug reactions are suspected.

Public Citizen's petition pointed out that potentially fatal liver failure was just one of many problems associated with Avandia.  The group said in a press release that the drug increases the risk of heart attack approximately 40 percent, doubles the risk of heart failure and bone fractures, and increases the risk of anemia and vision loss from macular edema, a swelling of the retina caused by fluids accumulating in the eye.

“The scientific consensus against Avandia is overwhelming,” Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, said in the press release.  “The timing of these findings should give the FDA the momentum it needs to act swiftly to prevent further needless deaths and health damage by banning this drug.”

Avandia and Heart Problems

The Avandia injury lawyers at our firm are also offering case evaluations to victims of Avandia-induced heart failure and heart attacks.  In May 2007, a Cleveland Clinic study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found  that patients taking Avandia had a 43-percent higher risk of having a heart attack.  The study created a firestorm, and many called for Avandia to be recalled at that time.

That summer, Glaxo and the FDA came under fire for an apparent failure to warn the public about the cardiac risks associated with Avandia. Testimony at a congressional hearing in June 2007 revealed that the company and the FDA had known about the heart attack risk as far back as September 2005. That congressional investigation also uncovered allegations that in 2005, an FDA scientist who had advocated for a strong black box warning on Avandia about its risk for congestive heart failure had been removed from an Avandia safety review.

In August 2007,  the FDA finally approved a black box warning - the agency's strictest safety notice - for Avandia about its link to heart attacks.  The Avandia black box warning included the following statement: “A meta-analysis of 42 clinical studies (mean duration 6 months; 14,237 total patients), most of which compared Avandia to placebo, showed Avandia to be associated with an increased risk of myocardial ischemic events such as angina or myocardial infarction.”

In August 2007, the FDA also approved a black box warning for Avandia about its association with congestive heart failure.  The new warning said that patients with the most severe forms of heart failure should not take the drug, and that thiazolidinediones are not recommended for patients with heart failure that causes symptoms. The warnings also advise that doctors should reconsider the use of drugs like Avandia if a patient develops heart failure while taking thiazolidinediones.

Avandia and Vision Problems

The Avandia injury lawyers at our firm are also investigating reports of Avandia-related macular edema. According to Public Citizen's 2008 petition, there were 39 times more reports of macular edema per million prescriptions filled for Avandia than for an older diabetes drug, glipizide.

In January 2006,  the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline said that patients who have taken Avandia reported blurry vision and swelling of the feet and legs. GlaxoSmithKline stated it had received some  reports of new or worsening diabetic macular edema in diabetic patients who took Avandia. The swelling of the retina can cause blurry or distorted vision. Additionally, most of those patients also reported peripheral edema, or swelling of the legs, ankles and feet. In some situations, stopping treatment or reducing the dose if Avandia eliminated or improved the condition.

Avandia and Bone Problems

The Avandia injury lawyers at our firm are also investigating reports of Avandia-related bone fractures in many patients.  According to a Swiss study published in April 2008, the risk of fractures increased among Avandia patients who took the drug for approximately 12 to 18 months. The  risk was highest for those with two or more years of therapy. The researchers came to their conclusions by comparing the records of 1,020 diabetic patients with fractures diagnosed by British doctors between 1994 and 2005 against a control group of diabetics who did not have fractures.

In December 2007, researchers doing experiments with mice discovered a possible reason for this Avandia side effect.   Avandia appears to throw the body’s system for removing and replacing old bone cells off balance in two important ways.   In addition to inhibiting the action of osteoblasts, cells in the body that build bone, researchers also discovered that Avandia  stimulates the action of osteoclasts, cells that degrade bone.

The Avandia researchers, whose work was published in the December 2007 issue of Nature Medicine, surmised that the medication’s effect on these cells could account for Avandia’s bone fracture side effects.  While there are medications available to counter the Avandia bone fracture risk, the authors of the December 2007 study recommended that all Avandia patients be monitored for bone problems.

Legal Help for Victims of Avandia Injuries

Considering the unacceptably high number of dangerous side effects associated with Avandia, it is clear that this drug was not subject to adequate testing.  The Avandia injury lawyers at our firm are committed to making sure that GlaxoSmithKline is held accountable for this negligence. 

If you or someone you love suffered from liver failure, heart problems, vision problems or bone fractures as a result of Avandia, you have valuable legal rights.  Please fill out our online form or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) as soon as possible to discuss your case with one of our Avandia injury lawyers.