Serious Avandia side effects have recently led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider recalling the type-2 diabetes medication known as Avandia (generically rosiglitazone). First approved by the FDA in 1999, Avandia improves the body’s ability to absorb insulin so that users have more control over their blood sugar levels. Avandia is not indicated for the treatment of type-1 diabetes and should not be used by those who are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Despite its effectiveness and popularity (U.S. sales of Avandia totaled about $2.2 billion), Avandia has been reported to cause a range of serious, debilitating and, at times, life-threatening side effects, including:
- bone fractures in the upper arms, hands or feet (women are more likely to sustain this Avandia side effect than men)
- eye damage or partial blindness
- heart disease and heart attack (some studies report that taking Avandia increases a user’s risk of sustaining a heart attack by as much as 43 percent.)
- moderate to severe acute hepatitis
- stroke (some research found that taking Avandia increases a user’s risk of having a stroke by up to 27 percent.)
Avandia Side Effects Trigger Defective Drug Lawsuits
Those who sustain any serious injury as a result of taking Avandia will have a strong defective drug claim against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the maker of Avandia in the U.S., and they will be entitled to compensation for their injuries, losses, pain and suffering. While emergency medical attention to prevent further health complications will be vital in the immediate aftermath of Avandia side effects, once a user’s health is stable, he or she should receive a free initial consultation with a skilled defective drug attorney at our firm to receive a professional, thorough assessment of his/her case.
To date, more than 13,000 lawsuits have been filed against GSK as a result of users suffering from severe Avandia side effects. Although GSK has settled approximately 11,500 of these cases for a total of about $460 million, experts contend that many more lawsuits will be filed against the drug manufacturer in the future, as Avandia is still on the market. In fact, The Guardian contends that, ultimately, GSK could be paying out as much as $6 billion in settlements to injured Avandia patients.
