Last week, I posted a blog entry about the controversy surrounding Avandia after recent studies revealed the cardiovascular dangers surrounding it and advised readers to contact their doctor immediately regarding possible alternative medication.
A new article in the New York Times provides more insight into the known problems with Avandia at SmithKline Beecham. According to studies conducted by the manufacturer in 1999, signs were evident that Avandia was riskier to the heart; however, the company chose not to publish those studies, instead spending 11 years trying to cover them up. “The company did not post the results on its Web site or submit them to federal drug regulators, as is required in most cases by law.” Following the May, 2007 lawsuit that forced SmithKline (successor to SmithKline Beecham) to post some documents on its website, it has become more obvious that the company aggressively attempted to prevent the public from learning of the cardiovascular safety risks to protect their sales numbers.
As with any product or medication, safety should never be sacrificed for profit. Initial reports seem to indicate that profit was definitely the primary interest for SmithKline Beecham.
In related news, the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a suit today against the FDA for failing to alert diabetes patients of safer alternatives for treatment other than Avandia and other diabetes drugs.
If you have been prescribed Avandia, contact your doctor immediately to learn of the associated risks and possible alternatives.
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About the author:
Mr. Zambri is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Attorney and Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. He has been acknowledged by Washingtonian magazine as a “Big Gun” and among the “top 1%” of all of the more than 80,000 lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area. The magazine also acknowledged him as “one of Washington’s best–most honest and effective lawyers” who specializes in medical malpractice matters, product liability claims, and serious automobile accident claims. Mr. Zambri has also been repeatedly named a “Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics magazine (2010)–a national publication that honors the top lawyers in America.
Mr. Zambri is regularly asked to present seminars to lawyers and doctors, as well as both medical and law students concerning medication errors, medical malpractice litigation, and safety improvements.
If you have any questions about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at [email protected] or call him at 202-822-1899.