Please note that the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are no longer taking on new cases involving Avandia. The content on this page is provided for informational purposes only.

Side Effects of Avandia (Rosiglitazone) May Increase the Risk of Heart Attacks, Heart Failure

Problems with Avandia gained national attention in May 2007, when an article in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that potential side effects may increase the risk of heart attacks, heart disease and death.

The Avandia problems have led to stronger warnings from the FDA about the risk of heart attacks and congestive heart failure, but many experts have called for an Avandia recall to protect consumers from this unreasonably dangerous drug.

The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. previously represented individuals throughout the U.S. who suffered injuries as a result of side effects of Avandia, including:

  • Heart Attack
  • Stroke
  • Liver Failure
  • Heart Failure
  • Bone Fracture
  • Vision Loss or Blindness
  • Death

Following Avandia settlements reached to resolve the litigation and stronger warnings added about the potential side effects of the diabetes drug, new cases are no longer being investigated.

AVANDIA PROBLEMS

Avandia (generic rosiglitazone) is an oral medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and was approved by the FDA in May 1999. The diabetes drug has been used by over 6 million people worldwide, and was responsible for thousands of heart attacks and deaths for years.

Approximately 20 million people in the United States suffer from Type 2 diabetes, and it is the sixth leading cause of death nationwide. Those with Type 2 diabetes either produce too much blood sugar, do not produce enough insulin or their blood cells ignore insulin (a condition known as insulin resistance). Avandia is an insulin sensitizer, which makes the cells more responsive to insulin, and aids in the management of blood sugar to ease diabetes side effects.

Avantia problems were identified when independent researchers from the Cleveland Clinic reviewed data from clinical trials involving nearly 28,000 patients. The researchers concluded that Avandia side effects could increase the risk of a heart attack by 43% and the risk of cardiovascular death by as much as 64%. Following the release of this report, the FDA has requested that stronger warnings be added to the label regarding the risk of heart disease and they are reviewing whether additional steps are necessary to protect consumers from Avandia heart effects.

However, restrictions placed on the use of the drugs in September 2010 were removed by the FDA in December 2015.

>>INFORMATION: Timeline of Avandia Problems

AVANTIA HEART ATTACK LAWSUITS

The manufacturer of Avandia had access to the same clinical data for over one year before the independent research study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2007. For years before this study was published, the drug’s maker failed to disclose the heart attack risks, and actively tried to minimize the danger, even though their own analysis showed a 30% increase in the rate of injuries.

Millions of dollars in Avandia settlements were paid to users of the diabetes drug. However, the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk are no longer reviewing potential cases for individuals who suffered an Avandia heart attack, liver failure, bone fracture, vision loss or death.