Payments for diabetes drug Avandia

The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline wants to make compensation payments for the contravened diabetes drug "Avendia" according to an agency message.

(14.07.2010) According to a recent agency report, the English pharmaceutical manufacturer "GlaxoSmithKline" will make compensation payments totaling 460 million euros to the plaintiffs due to the controversial diabetes drug "Avandia". Avandia is suspected of possibly leading to deadly heart disease. Two years ago, there were clinical indications that the drug "rosiglitazone" contained in Avendia could damage the heart.

A total of 10,000 lawsuits have been filed against the Pharaoh giant in the US alone. With the million amount "GlaxoSmithKline" would settle the dispute. The agency "Bloomberg" had reported on Tuesday that such an agreement would have come about. The agency relies on "familiar persons". However, there is no official statement from the plaintiff or the group. The rush message on a possible settlement came on the eve of the important decision of the US Food and Drug Administration. A committee on Wednesday to recommend to the FDA on whether the drug Avandia must be withdrawn from the market. The group did not want to comment on this at the time of the report.

The complaints had come after a clinical study had shown that the medicine for diabetes patients can lead to serious heart problems. Since then, the drug is controversial and is heavily criticized from all sides. According to the New York Times, an internal US government report recommended that the drug Avandia be withdrawn immediately from the market. In addition, according to the Times, the drug caused 304 deaths in the third quarter of 2009 alone. Two US senators accused the pharmaceutical company of having known of potential heart problems before 2007.

European drug regulatory agencies will certainly review the drug again. In Germany, the Federal Joint Committee had recently taken the drug along with similar medicines from the reimbursement of statutory health insurance. Whether in Germany also against the pharmaceutical company has been sued, is so far unconfirmed. (Sb)

Also read:
Diabetes is not a fate
Diabetes agent Avandia under infarction suspicion

Picture: Rainer Sturm