Medical Panel Recommends Diabetes Drug Avandia Be Withdrawn From Market
Avandia Recall Recommended
A medical panel has recommended to the FDA that popular diabetes drug Avandia be withdrawn completely off the market, or have its sales severely restricted.
Avandia is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, and it’s the trade name for the chemical drug rosiglitazone. Avandia is used by many diabetic patients as it helps their bodies become more sensitive to their own insulin levels, thereby assisting in the control of the blood sugar levels.
Internal documents from GlaxoSmithKline had showed that the company had kept important safety information away from the public, and among the 33-member panel, 12 members voted for Avandia to be withdrawn, whilst 10 for sales to be restricted.
The FDA has said it will take the panel’s advice into serious consideration. “We will come to a decision as soon as possible, and we will announce that publicly,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’a drug center.
Other experts say that though Avandia cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor in heart attacks, it is difficult to confirm if using the drug directly increases the risk factors. Diabetic patients are usually on multiple medications, and are also predisposed to increased risks of heart attacks due to their underlying conditions, so pinpointing a single cause is difficult.
