Dallas attorney sues GlaxoSmithKline over man’s heart attack death

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — The widow and son of a Beaumont, Texas, man are suing drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline based on claims that the popular diabetes drug Avandia contributed to the man’s fatal heart attack.

The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is one of the first against the Philadelphia, Pa.-based pharmaceutical giant since a May 21, 2007, report linked Avandia use to an increased risk of heart attack in patients.

Ironically, 60-year-old Larry Alan Stanford died from a heart attack the very same day that the report was published in The New England Journal of Medicine warning of Avandia dangers. Mr. Stanford had taken Avandamet, a form of Avandia mixed with another diabetes drug, since early 2005.

“I know Larry’s family will never forget the date May 21, 2007, and I sincerely hope neither does GlaxoSmithKline,” says Stephen Drinnon of The Drinnon Law Firm in Dallas, who represents Mr. Stanford’s widow and son. “But what truly matters is what happened long before that date. I believe the evidence will show the company knew there were problems with Avandia, but decided to keep on selling it to Larry and others.”

Avandia, the brand name for Rosiglitazone, first gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 1999. In 2006, doctors wrote 13 million prescriptions for the drug, and Avandia sales totaled $2.2 billion.

Since the New England Journal of Medicine study was published, Avandia’s share of new prescriptions has dropped. At the same time, investors have filed a class-action lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, claiming the company “failed to adequately disclose” information linking use of the drug to an elevated risk of heart trouble.

Source: Drinnon Law Firm