• 15
  • June
    2011

A group of 43 plaintiffs has filed a class action lawsuit in Illinois against GlaxoSmithKline, U.K.'s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, alleging that the popular diabetes medication Avandia caused them medical problems.

Avandia, generically known as rosiglitazone, is set to be removed from pharmacy shelves beginning in November, a move which is part of a new Food and Drug Administration program which seeks to protect consumers from the dangerous drug, which is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Other side effects of the drug that have been noted are liver failure, bone fractures, and vision loss.

Glaxo has been facing extensive problems over Avandia, which has been linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Nearly 1,000 claims against Avandia were recently settled in a federal court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and another 1,512 cases are pending in a New Jersey federal court, as well as others in other states.

The Illinois lawsuit alleges that Glaxo was aware of the risks posed by Avandia back in 2005, but that it failed to properly warn consumers. The FDA had issued enhanced warnings for the drug last year, but only this year took steps to restrict the drug's availability.

The Illinois suit involves claims of almost $650,000, and alleges breach of warranty, misrepresentation, fraud and negligence. It is, according to sources, one among thousands of pieces of litigation against Glaxo over Avandia.

Avandia was approved in 1999 to decrease blood-sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, which affects around 23 million Americans.

Source: drugalert.org, "Avandia suit filed in Illinois," 13 June 2011.