Pharmaceutical conglomerate, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), argued today that its drug, Avandia (generic: rosiglitazone), does not precipitate cardiac-related injury when taken by patients, who are being treated, by the drug, for diabetes.
Initially, David Graham, who sits on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel, moved that the drug should be pulled from the market, citing research which points at patients, who are being treated by Avandia, suffered a greater number of heart attacks.
GSK, though, had three billion reasons ($3 billion in sales in 2006) against the FDA's one lone voice, stating why its drug should be allowed to stay on the market.
It appears as if the FDA panel concurs with GSK's argument. They voted 22-1 to keep the drug on the market (while acknowledging the seeming correlations between heart attacks and the drug). They stated that the drug's label should be updated to communicate the elevated heart attack risk to physicians and patients.
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