Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Diabetes Drug Ups Heart Risk

New study documents dangers of Avandia, but company nixes recall

By J. Kelman, Newser User

Posted May 21, 2007 3:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – A popular diabetes drug may increase heart attack risks, a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes. Patients who took Avandia, which treats Type 2 diabetes, were 43% more likely to have a heart attack than those who took a placebo, the... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Cops Shoot Naked Guy Eating Man's Face on Highway

Japanese Artist Serves Up Own Cooked Genitals

Associated Press (Source Grid »)

Original New England Journal of Medicine study
New England Journal of Medicine

NEJM editorial: Avandia case shows need for FDA reform
New England Journal of Medicine

GlaxoSmithKline shares tumble on news
MarketWatch

New York Times: Authors are long-time critics of the FDA
New York Times

medicine • FDA • health • diabetes • pharmaceutical companies • GlaxoSmithKline • Avandia • pharma • medical research • heart attack

More Newser Stories

Controversy Rages Over Diabetes Drug's Heart Risks

FDA official says superiors ordered her to back off serious warning

(NEWSER) - Troubling questions about the diabetes drug Avandia persisted yesterday as an FDA official revealed that she was barred from recommending a critical warning about the medication, the Times reports. In the run-up to congressional hearings that began today, manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline rushed to disseminate interim clinical findings in hopes of blunting the controversy. More»

Glaxo Stems Stock Slide Over Avandia

Medical chief rebuts findings on heart risks; claims comparable to other drugs

(NEWSER) - Glaxo shares pulled out of a tailspin after the pharma giant defended its second biggest selling drug, Avandia, against claims that it triggers heart attacks. A sharply worded letter from the company's chief medical officer on the website of medical journal The Lancet pointed out that the increased incidence of heart attacks among Avandia patients—0.6%—was still very small. More»

Drug Company Nemesis Strikes Again

Crusading cardiologist took on Vioxx, now Avandia, for heart risks

(NEWSER) - The doctor who helped to raise concerns about the painkiller Vioxx is back—with the study released earlier this week linking the same company's popular diabetes drug, Avandia, to higher risk of heart attacks. The Wall Street Journal looks at 58-year-old cardiologist Steven Nissen's role in identifying and publicizing drug risks. More»

Avandia Woes Mount Ahead of FDA Hearing

Agency flags flawed study, may ban diabetes drug

(NEWSER) - As the FDA prepares to consider whether to ban Avandia, agency scientists have discovered another problem with the diabetes drug: flaws that disqualify a clinical study sponsored by its maker. The trial, organized by GlaxoSmithKline, sought to evaluate the relative heart risks of Avandia and two other diabetes drugs, but was an "open label" trial, meaning the researchers and patients knew which drugs they were getting, USA Today reports. More»

Feds Further Link Avandia to Heart Risk

FDA, Senate reports lambaste GlaxoSmithKline, want to yank drug

(NEWSER) - Some 800 people every month suffer heart attacks or heart failure because of the diabetes medication Avandia, according to government reports obtained by the New York Times . Under fire since 2007, the GlaxoSmithKline drug was linked to 304 deaths in the final quarter of last year and hundreds of thousands still take it. Avandia “should be removed from the market," concludes one FDA study unequivocally. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Diabetes Drug Ups Heart Risk

New study documents dangers of Avandia, but company nixes recall

medicine • FDA • health • diabetes • pharmaceutical companies • GlaxoSmithKline • Avandia • pharma • medical research • heart attack

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Controversy Rages Over Diabetes Drug's Heart Risks

FDA official says superiors ordered her to back off serious warning

Glaxo Stems Stock Slide Over Avandia

Medical chief rebuts findings on heart risks; claims comparable to other drugs

Drug Company Nemesis Strikes Again

Crusading cardiologist took on Vioxx, now Avandia, for heart risks

Avandia Woes Mount Ahead of FDA Hearing

Agency flags flawed study, may ban diabetes drug

Feds Further Link Avandia to Heart Risk

FDA, Senate reports lambaste GlaxoSmithKline, want to yank drug

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?