• 23
  • December
    2011

Last month, a Federal District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania set a deadline for GlaxoSmithKline to settle patient lawsuits regarding the use of a diabetes drug they produced, Avandia.

U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Rufe recently appointed a mediator to facilitate settlement negotiations for an unspecified number of Avandia cases. According to court filings, at the time of the decision Judge Rufe set a time limit of 75 days to settle 85 percent of Avandia cases - with a pledge to have 100 of the oldest cases ready for trial in 60 days if they fail to reach that threshold.

Avandia Lawsuits

London-based Glaxo has had legal issues related to Avandia going back more than a decade - they recently agreed to pay $3 billion to settle claims that they illegally marketed Avandia and other medications.

After studies emerged linking Avandia to increased risks of heart attacks, regulators withdrew Avandia in Europe and the FDA limited prescriptions in the U.S. - leading to a 43 percent drop in sales. It has been estimated that Glaxo faces about 20,000 lawsuits related to Avandia use.

According to a Federal District Court order, some of the injuries alleged by patients who took Avandia include, but are not limited to:

  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Acute Coronary Syndrome
  • Coronary Artery Occlusion
  • Coronary Artery Reocclustion
  • Coronary Artery Thrombosis
  • Coronary Bypass (or stenting)
  • Myocardial Ischemia
  • Papillary Muscle Infarction
  • Subendocardial Ischemia
  • Congestive Heart Failure
  • Cerebrovascular Accident (a/k/a Stroke)

As referenced above, this list is by no means exclusive as patients have experienced numerous other life-altering injuries. If you believe you have been injured as a result of taking Avandia, it is important to take action immediately in order hold accountable those parties responsible.