NYT Analysis Raises Concerns About Diabetes Drug Avandia
An analysis of documents obtained by the New York Times found that drugmaker SmithKline Beecham -- which later merged with Glaxo -- covered up results from a 1999 study that revealed heart risks with its diabetes drug Avandia. The drugmaker undertook the study to determine whether Avandia was safer than Actos, a rival treatment, yet found that Avandia had greater heart risks than Actos. Avandia's heart risks became public through a separate, independent study in March 2007, and GSK officials then acknowledged that they had known about the risks since 2005. According to the documents obtained by the Times, the drugmaker potentially knew about the risks since 1999, when the drug entered the market.
- "Diabetes Drug Maker Hid Test Data on Risks, Files Indicate" (Harris, New York Times, 7/12).