Diabetes drug is taken off the market

The diabetes drug Avandia is being withdrawn from the market.

According to its own statements, the European Union (EU) is planning the diabetes drug „Avandia“ from the pharmaceutical market. The reason for this are numerous, sometimes severe side effects, as reported by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Studies have repeatedly pointed out that Avandia could lead to cardiovascular complaints.

The European Medicines Agency is planning the medicines developed for diabetics „Avandia“ to take from the market. The drug always causes strong side effects, as it was said. Drug „Avandia“ The pharmaceutical manufacturer "GlaxoSmithKline" is suspected of increasing the risk of a heart attack. British authorities ordered a stop to sell the medicine in early September. The European Union justifies its move by saying that in a risk-benefit analysis, leaving the drug with the active substance „rosiglitazone“ no longer responsible. Because the risks would exceed the benefit of the drug.

Do not discontinue diabetes medication on your own
In the coming months, the drug will now disappear throughout the European Union. However, the EMA recommends that patients not stop Avandia on their own. Rather, those affected should first talk to their doctor about possible alternatives. The Medicines Agency warned patients not to sell drugs on their own. This could result in health consequences.

Financial collapse for the Avandia manufacturer
For the pharmaceutical manufacturer „GlaxoSmithKline“ This decision by the EU, announced today, should be a major financial setback. Because the Avandia drug is the most commonly prescribed drug for diabetes. Globally, about six million people take the drug. According to experts, the drug is the profit maker of the pharmaceutical company. Because Avandia has brought the British manufacturer in recent years, billions of profits. Because national health authorities are following EU recommendations, the group is facing heavy losses. As „GlaxoSmithKline“ announced that they would no longer promote the drug. Most recently, sales of around 1.2 billion euros had been achieved by selling the products per year. Experts also suspect that the company has to adjust to complaints from patients, as the pharmaceutical manufacturer reportedly knew for three years of the side effects and risks.

Avandia only in exceptional situations
The drug is also criticized worldwide. In the US, they are also planning crude circumcisions. Avandia should be prescribed only in exceptional situations, when other drugs no longer achieve desired effects. In the UK, the funds were withdrawn from the market in early September. "Ten years after the release of rosiglitazone, we still can not assess exactly what risks we expose our patients to," criticized John Yudkin of Universitiy College in London. Earlier investigations had shown that the active ingredient „rosiglitazone“ a diabetes-critical blood glucose level (glycohemoglobin HbA1c) may decrease by about one percent, but long-term effects have been neglected, says Yudkin.

World's most widely used drug
Worldwide, the drug is taken regularly by around six million people. Avandia is used in Diabtes Type II. Health experts have been criticizing the numerous side effects for years. For example, water retention, heart failure, and increased fractures may occur in women. Also increase the heart attack risk. So far, the drug has continued to be prescribed because the risk of hypoglycaemia in patients is lower than other drugs and it can also be combined with other so-called anti-diabetic agents.

Lawsuits against the pharmaceutical manufacturer
Patients have already filed lawsuits against the company in the United States. Studies have shown that taking the drug can cause serious heart problems. According to the New York Times, an internal US report has already recommended withdrawing funds from the drug market immediately. 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. According to media reports, the group agreed to make compensation to the plaintiffs totaling 460 million euros. According to the New York Times, around 10,000 patients filed a lawsuit against the company. Now the group must very probably adjust to the fact that European patients also start an action attempt. (sb, 24.09.2010)

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