Hundreds of Avandia Lawsuits Settled by GlaxoSmithKline

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Hundreds of patients have filed lawsuits against GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of diabetes drug Avandia, following the onset of serious side effects including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. On May 11, 2010, a lawyer involved with the lawsuits told Reuters news agency that nearly 700 Avandia cases have settled, with GlaxoSmithKline ordered to pay approximately $60 million to resolve the pending lawsuits.

Avandia has been in the spotlight recently, following reports from various studies linking the drug to cardiovascular complications. The FDA estimates that Avandia treatment caused at least 83,000 heart attacks from 1999 to 2007, and clinical studies have shown that Avandia increases the risk of heart attack by 43 percent and can double the risk of heart failure after only one year of treatment.

At least 13,000 Avandia lawsuits have been filed nationwide, with plaintiffs accusing GlaxoSmithKline of failing to adequately warn patients about the serious risks of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, bone fractures, vision loss, and death associated with the medication.

Avandia is still currently used by thousands of patients in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. In patients with type 2 diabetes, blood sugar levels are abnormally high. Avandia works to control blood sugar levels by helping the body effectively use insulin, a hormone created by the body that is responsible for the regulation of sugar in the body.