Avandia and Bone Fractures - The Scientific Evidence

By Michele Wallace

Published on October 09, 2009

A recent study reports an increased risk of bone fractures in patients taking Avandia, which is a drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline PLC. Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, is used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

This latest research was published in the September edition of PloS Medicine. The study was led by Ian Douglas of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Their research reviewed the General Practice Research Database, which is a listing of clinical records of over six million patients registered at 400 general practice surgeries in the United Kingdom.

After adjusting their findings for bone fractures due to age, researchers compared the number of fractures patients suffered while on Avandia to the amount of fractures they reported while not on the medication. They concluded that patients have a 1.5 times higher risk of a bone fracture on Avandia.

The results of this recent study add to the long list of safety concerns associated with the Avandia drug, including heart attacks, congestive heart failure, liver failure, and edema. In 2007 the FDA added a "black box" warning regarding the risk of heart attacks from Avandia.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC faces thousands of lawsuits over Avandia alleging that the company failed to conduct thorough research on the medication or warn users of the serious side effects. Federal Avandia litigation has been consolidated into a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL).

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