500 deaths from diabetes drug mediator?

French study: 500 deaths from diabetes drug mediator?

A diabetes drug that has also been used as an appetite suppressant in overweight could be responsible for the deaths of around 500 patients, according to a study by the Medicines Regulatory Commission.

The French-based, also used as an appetite suppressant diabetes drug "Mediator" of the French drug company Servier, should, according to a study by the Food Safety Authority have serious health side effects. Thus, in the last thirty years, about 3,500 hospital admissions were required as a result of taking the drug and for 500 patients had the use of „mediator“ deadly ended.

Contained active ingredient Benfluorex banned since 2009
According to the study, the active ingredient Benfluorex, which was withdrawn from the market throughout Europe by the European Medicines Agency in 2009, is particularly dangerous. The authority was led to the ban because of the massive negative side effects in patients with heart valve malfunction. That's the way it is „mediator“ banned in France since last November. In Germany, however, the drug was never approved by the regulatory authorities.

Five million people took questionable drug
French health minister Xavier Bertrand has called on all patients who have taken the diabetes drug for more than three months in the past to report to their GP, based on the latest study results. The drug, marketed by the pharmaceutical company Servier as a diabetes drug in 1979, has been estimated by the health authorities to be around 5 million people, with „mediator“ often prescribed as an appetite suppressant in obese people. The preparation is similar in composition to another drug by Servier, which had to be taken in 1997 from the market.

Pharmaceutical company Servier doubts the study results
The pharmaceutical company Servier, however, denies all such negative side effects of his product and doubts the current study results. „These are conclusions from hypotheses“, stressed a spokesman for the company. If Servier admitted that the studies might be true, the concern would have a legal problem as well. Because there are already numerous complaints from patients with the competent French courts. The amount of damage in the room and the concern of the group against a judicial defeat are correspondingly high. So Servier has no interest in confirming the results of such negative studies and thus possibly even burden themselves in court.

Opposition suspects lobbying
Meanwhile, in the political opposition of France, the current study results are causing a stir. The deputy Gérard Bapt called the events as a scandal of the French health service and said that it was incomprehensible why France has not banned the drug like other countries earlier. „Did you perhaps want to protect the interests of the French laboratory Servier?“ so the accusatory question of the opposition to the newspaper „Le Parisien“. (fp, 17.11.2010)

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Picture: Rainer Sturm