Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) widely prescribed oral diabetes drug, has been identified as a possible cause of heart attacks and other heart problems in patients with diabetes, stirring up a storm of controversy about the FDA ‘s (Food and Drug Administration) practices in approving drugs and monitoring drug safety.

A new study containing a meta-analysis of previous studies of Avandia was published in the online version of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on May 21, 2007. The analysis showed that Avandia created a significant risk of increased heart attacks and other heart problems in patients with diabetes.

The study produced predicted results, and lawsuits for serious personal injury and wrongful death cause by taking Avandia began to be filed in 2007. For example, the family of a nurse who required 3 bypass operations and finally died of a stroke, filed suit against GSK. The family claimed that GSK had information about the dangers of Avandia that it withheld.

Suffered harm from Avandia? You may have a lawsuit. Click here, for a top rated law firm to evaluate your legal rights.

One of the primary issues in Avandia litigation will be whether the manufacturer, GSK, responsibly reported all the dangers of Avandia to the FDA and to the public. A few U.S. legislators have already raised concerns about GSK’s honesty in this area. GSK has a bad record on safety reporting; it settled a lawsuit filed by then New York Attorney General, and now New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer, in which Spitzer charged GSK with fraudulently withholding results about the safety of prescribing the antidepressant Paxil to children. Part of that settlement was the agreement that GSK would set up the website that the NEJM authors used to obtain much of their data.

GSK claims that the results of its long-term clinical trials contradict the findings of the meta-analysis published in the NEJM.

If you or a loved one has been injured by taking Avandi, you need to have your case reviewed by a lawyer experienced in drug litigation as soon as you can. See Avandia Attorney and Lawyer – How to Hire to find an Avandia expert who will be able help you. Check out the following articles for more information about Avandia, filing an Avandia lawsuit and finding an Avandia attorney.

• For more information about Avandia, see Drug Overview: Avandia Side Effects and Claims
• For more information about Avandia side effects, see Avandia Side Effects – Heart Attack and Fractures
• To find out more about the FDA warning, see Avandia Side Effects and Risks
• For more information about Avandia updates, see Avandia Information and Warnings
• To learn more about Avandia attorneys and how to find one, see Hiring a Avandia Attorney and Lawyer

Suffered harm from Avandia? You may have a lawsuit. Click here, for a top rated law firm to evaluate your legal rights.