has avandia been recalled yet?

Answer 1

Not yet, but was in the news today. Some congressmen are demanding it be removed from the diabetic use due to possible heart problems they say is associated with it.

Answer 2

Rosiglitazone/Avandia has not been recalled and I doubt that it will be. An earlier drug in this family troglitazone/Rezulin was withdrawn due to concerns regarding the liver. Unfortunately it was more the fault of physicians prescribing the drug to patients with liver problems than problems with the drug itself. The situation with rosiglitazone is similar. There is always a benefit and risk to any medication. The benefits of rosiglitazone and its close relative pioglitazone/Actos are very powerful. They reduce insulin resistance and seem to improve beta cell (the cells which produce insulin) function in the pancreas. The question is whether or not these drugs may cause heart failure. The suspicion is greater with rosi- than with pio- glitazone but the evidence is weak and the numbers are small. At present the Food and Drug Administration has placed a 'black box' (bold lettering) warning on the 'official information sheet' about these drugs. It cautions that those with heart failure or at high risk of heart failure may not be candidates for these drugs. Various authorities such as Yale's The Medical Letter and Harvard's Journal Watch believe that the drugs may be safely used and are not in favor of a recall. To my knowledge the attorneys have not taken hold of this issue but if they do it may force the company to voluntarily withdraw the drug. If you, a loved one, or a friend is on rosiglitazone the recommendation is not to stop it - but rather to discuss the matter with your physician. Despite limited evidence many physicians are switching patients from rosi- to pio- glitazone until the results of a study involving these drugs is available. I have always preferred pio- to rosi- glitazone but I must confess this was not based upon hard scientific data nor an anticipation of this issue.

Answer 3

I heard on the news tonight that the FDA will not take it off the market, just give it a black label. Actos is another one with heart risks.

Answer 4

I don't think it's been pulled from the market..... but there are enough warnings about it that husband's doctor switched him to a similar but different med....

Answer 5

no not yet , but patients with underlying heart disease or are at risk of getting heart attack should discuss the treatment with their physicians.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01636.html