Reports obtained by The New York Times say that if every diabetic now taking Avandia were instead given a similar pill Actos, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be averted every month. Avandia was linked to 304 deaths during the third quarter of 2009.

After reviewing new research highlighting the potential risk of liver damage caused by Avandia, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has revamped their November 2008 petition to the FDA to have Avandia recalled from the market.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it will require tougher warnings about heart failure for Avandia®, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes.

The FDA is ordering GlaxoSmithKline to add a "black box" warning to Avandia®, strengthening existing warnings about a condition in which the heart does not adequately pump blood. The issue is separate from a study that said Avandia® increased the risk of a heart attack.

That study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed a 43 percent increase in heart attacks in people using Avandia®, as well as a significant increase in the risk of heart-related deaths. In addition to these heart complications, Avandia® has been tied to PPH, visual abnormalities including macular edema (swelling of part of the retina) and increases in several kinds of fractures in women. In addition, there have been reports of anemia, which also increases the risk for a heart attack.

Adverse Effects associated with Avandia®:

* Heart Attack
* PPH
* Cardiovascular Conditions
* Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
* Bone Fractures
* Macular Edema
* DEATH

Avandia®, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, was approved in 1999 for treatment of type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects about 18 to 20 million Americans. Since the drug was approved, the FDA has been monitoring several heart-related adverse events (e.g., fluid retention, edema and congestive heart failure). Meanwhile, 11 million prescriptions were filled for the drug in the United States in 2006 alone. There is now evidence surfacing that the manufacturer has known the dangers of Avandia® for several years and has said nothing.

Patients who are taking Avandia®, especially those who are known to have underlying heart disease or who are at high risk of heart attack should talk to their doctor about this new information as they evaluate the available treatment options for their diabetes.

If you or a loved one has had a heart attack or has died from any of these conditions after taking Avandia®, you may be entitled to CASH COMPENSATION. Don't Wait! Contact us now to see if your case qualifies!