A controversial diabetes drug, Avandia, has been causing heart problems. Hundreds of people taking Avandia, needlessly suffer heart attacks and heart failure each month, according to confidential government reports that recommend the drug be removed from the market.
As what the report from the New York Times said, if every diabetic now taking Avandia were instead given a similar pill named Actos, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be averted every month because Avandia can hurt the heart. Avandia, intended to treat Type 2 diabetes, is known as rosiglitazone and was linked to 304 deaths during the third quarter of 2009.
Some officials at the Food and Drug Avandia wanted to withdraw because they believe a safer alternative exists, adds the newspaper, referring to others insist on the provision of studies and contradictory information Avandia should remain an option. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the pill, and says it is considering large-scale and Avandia, “the scientific evidence simply does not demonstrate that Avandia increases” the risk of a heart attack. Debate, which began with the definition and analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine (see here and here) is to intensify due to the difference on the new clinical trial and an inquiry in the Senate, concluding Glaxo should be warned of the risks earlier.
Elsewhere it is estimated Avadia caused some 83,000 excess heart attacks. Add that to the 140,000 excess heart attacks from Vioxx. With “medicines” like this who needs healthcare reform. Certainly the pharmaceutical industry wants to maximize its profits by giving drugs out for chronic conditions, but its not a good business model to murder all your customers, no wage earners left to leach from.
If the FDA were an organic herbal provider rather than the paid stooge of the pharmaceutical industry they would be on trial for charges of genocide by this point.
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