Avandia Sales Drop

Greg Owen

Attorney

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

Sales of Avandia, the drug developed to aid diabetes patients, have dropped by approximately 10% since The New England Journal of Medicine posted an Avandia study on May 21, 2007 that was less than favorable. The study showed a huge increase in heart attacks and cardiovascular disease in people taking the drug, which is a product of GlaxoSmithKline.

By the drug manufacturer's estimates, the number of people taking the drug has gone from approximately 1 million to 900,000 in the United States. There has been a 40% decrease in new perscriptions written. Many patients who were originally taking Avandia, have switched to the diabetes drug Actos.

People who suffer from diabetes may feel caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand the risks of heart attack and cardiovascular disease are very high when taking Avandia. Yet, on the other hand, uncontrolled blood sugar can have devastating consequences such as infection or coma, not to mention a host of other problems. Not surprisingly, the manufacturer stands by the drug. The drug has been widely perscribed by doctors and has generated huge sales for the company. An FDA advisory panel will discuss the safety of both Avandia and Actos on July 30. Stay tuned for their findings.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.