Relying upon confidential government reports, The New York Times warned its readers on February 20, 2010, that each month hundred of people who are taking Avandia, a drug prescribed for the treatment of diabetes, are having heart attacks and others are experiencing heart failure.  The recommendation in these confidential government reports is that Avandia be withdrawn from the market.

According to the report, withdrawing Avadia from the market and replacing this defective and dangerous drug with a similar medication (Actos) would prevent 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure each month.   Avadia, also known as Rosiglitazone, is used to treat Type 2 diabetes.  In the third quarter of 2009, this drug was linked to 304 deaths.

GlaxoSmithKline manufactures Avandia.  The confidential FDA reports are part of an intense debate within the agency about whether this drug should be taken off the market.  This battle has been raging for a number of years but was recently brought to the forefront because of a new clinical trial and a Senate investigation that GlaxoSmithKline should have warned patients earlier about the potential risks of taking this pill.

Patients who have suffered heart attacks or heart failure while taking Rosiglitazone (Avandia) may have a product liability case against GlaxoSmithKine.  If you have been injured by this medication, you should contact a products liability attorney immediately.  The Fitzgerald Law Firm was part one of two law firms that successfully sued GlaxoSmithKline for failure to warn users about the potential dangers of Paxil, an SSRI antidepressant drug.