As an Avandia injury lawyer, I am astonished at the FDA’s reluctance to shut Avandia down and sanction Glaxo. Last month Federal drug regulators conducted a hearing concluding that Avandia carried a higher risk of heart attack than its competitor drug Actos.
Of the 33 members of the committee none voted to continue marketing the drug or from removing the warning labels for stroke or heart attack. 3 said no change; 10 voted to severely restrict the drug’s marketing and 12 voted to take it off the market. One abstained.
So what does the FDA do with this information? They order Glaxo to send some doctors a letter. The letter goes out without FDA approval and it fails to clearly discuss the findings of the committee. Moreover, the letter does not go out to all prescribing doctors nor to patients.
What is going on here? As a Miami drug injury lawyers committed to patient safety, I think that every prescribing doctor, pharmacist and patient should immediately be provided with a clear and easy to understand warning about Avandia from the FDA. The FDA can bill Glaxo for the cost of sending the letter. The idea is to let patients know about Avandia’s dangers before it is too late.
If you are taking Avandia, you should immediately discuss these findings with your physician and contact a competent drug injury law firm to protect your legal rights.
