A Journal of the American Medical Association editorial takes the FDA to task for its lax regulation of the drug Avandia, used to treat diabetes, given the findings of two recent studies that it may increase the risk of heart disease or at least, that it has a higher risk of side effects than a similar diabetes drug, Actos.
ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross worries that Avandia will go the way of Vioxx, an arthritis drug taken off of the market for its potential side effects despite its ability to benefit arthritic patients with an increased risk of gastrointestinal toxicity. For both these drugs, there are some patients who will reap unique benefits despite the increase in population-wide risks, says Dr. Ross. We shouldn t let the fear of any potential toxicity take a drug off of the market if it can help patients who would not suffer these side effects.
