Of the nearly 24 million individuals in the United States with diabetes, approximately 90 percent of them suffer from type-2 diabetes. Elevated blood glucose and increasing insulin resistance characterize this form of diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is caused by a variety of conditions including, obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol, among many others. Some symptoms of this form of diabetes are weakness, excessive thirst, rapid weight loss, and blurred vision.

Recently declared an epidemic by the Center for Disease Control, type-2 diabetes has harmed and killed many individuals. Avandia is a drug that was designed to help people control type-2 diabetes. However, because of severe side effects, not only will Avandia’s creator, GlaxoSmithKline, likely have to pay billions of dollars in settlements, but the drug is in danger of being removed from the market by the Food and Drug Administration.

How Avandia Works

Avandia is a diabetes medicine that works by allowing the cells to handle insulin properly and regulate blood sugar. The drug is ingested orally and can be used with other drugs in order to enhance its benefits. However, nearly ten years after the drug was released on the market, reports about its potentially fatal side effects began to surface. In May 2007, a study was issued that stated Avandia use substantially increased the odds of a heart attack or death from cardiovascular disease. The Food and Drug Administration issued its own report that stated Avandia increased the risk of ischemic heart disease.

Avandia Side Effects

In addition, the use of Avandia has several other harmful side effects. These side effects include a greater likelihood of upper arm, hand, or foot fractures in female Avandia users, retina deterioration and possible blindness, and possible hepatoxicity. Because of these severe side effects, some FDA officials began calling for a recall in 2007. Lawmakers in the Senate have become concerned that the parent company, GlaxoSmithKline deliberately played down studies involving Avandia’s side effects and knowingly promoted studies conducted by doctors and researchers with financial ties to the company. They were so concerned that issued a report in March of 2010 outlying their problems with the way GSK handled this controversial issue.

Legal Implications

The publication of damaging studies has resulted in thousands of lawsuits being filed because users feel that they were inadequately warned about the drug’s potential side effects. Faced with growing pressure in Congress and increased scrutiny by the scientific community, GSK may be forced to pay out over 6 billion dollars in settlements. With increased evidence that GSK’s paid scientists deliberately misled the public and the FDA, coupled with the over 60,000 people harmed or killed due to their use of the drug, GSK has been fighting a growing movement among politicians, scientists, and some FDA regulators to prohibit the sale of Avandia.

FDA Black Box Warning

In 2007, instead of an outright ban on the drug, the FDA chose to institute a black label warning on Avandia that advises consumers about the dangers uncovered by independent researchers. However, many view this as a case of too little too late. Although sales of Avandia have dropped in recent years, people who have been harmed, killed, or continued to use the drug because of the misinformation that has been spread by GSK’s paid researchers, have found themselves allied with doctors, lawyers, congressmen, and scientists who believe that GSK purposely misled the public about Avandia’s deadly side effects and attempts to cover up and obfuscate independent research results. These individuals and groups are pushing for punitive actions.