A new Canadian study conducted by an independent firm recently reported that patients taking the popular diabetes drug, Avandia, had a higher incidence of heart attacks, death and congestive heart failure.

The study

Conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Science for the Ontario government, the study analyzed 160,000 Canadian patients taking Avandia – prescribed to diabetics with Type 2 diabetes – the most common form of the disease. Avandia, also known as Rosiglitazone, came on the market approximately eight years ago. Since then, nearly six million people have prescribed to it.

The study was conducted over a four year period and followed patients who were 65 or older. The results showed that patients taking Avandia, or a similar drug called Actos, had a 60% greater risk of heart failure, a 40% greater risk of having a heart attack and a 29% greater risk of death. Although conducted in Canada, industry experts are saying that the study’s findings are significant as it was independently funded by the Canadian government and therefore not biased.

Avandia’s current status

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not pull the drug from the market, but it has required SmithKlineGlaxo, the manufacturer of Avandia, to include a warning on the drug’s container stating that it may potentially increase the user’s risk of a heart attack. Known as a black box warning, it was the second warning that the company was required to include on the drug’s packaging. The FDA has requested that the company provide further clinical trials, but those won’t be completed until the year 2014 – which may not help the majority of people taking the drug.

The Avandia controversy began in May 2007 when an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that Avandia patients had a 43% greater risk of having a heart attack. As Avandia is prescribed to those with Type 2 diabetes who may already have a higher risk of a heart attack, the news that the drug pushed that risk even higher undoubtedly made many patients feel very nervous.

If you’ve experienced heart issues while taking Avandia, contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of law. To contact an attorney near you, please click here.