Now FDA must act on GSK’s Avandia
Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 20 to 12 Wednesday to keep GlaxoSmithKline’s controversial diabetes drug Avandia on the market in the U.S., albeit recommending with stronger warnings about the increase risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke for those taking the medication.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 20 to 12 Wednesday to keep GlaxoSmithKline's controversial diabetes drug Avandia on the market in the U.S., albeit recommending with stronger warnings about the increase risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke for those taking the medication.
Before the vote on whether or not to take Avandia off the market here, the panel had voted 21 to 4 that the medication increased the risk of heart attacks compared with other medications used to treat diabetes including the competing drug Actos by made by a Japanese pharmaceutical company.
The FDA will now decide on what action if any to take in regards to Avandia. The drug agency is not required to follow the advice of the advisory panel, but usually does. Here's the full story on Wednesday's advisory committee actions.
To check out more Check Up items go to www.philly.com/checkup.