In the News: Heart failure risk prompts warning labels on diabetes drugs

In the News

Heart failure risk prompts warning labels on diabetes drugs

Published: August, 2007

The concern now is whether this particular class of drugs causes other cardiovascular problems.

In May 2007, the FDA told the makers of two diabetes drugs to add "black box" warnings to their labels because of the risk of heart failure. Both medications — Avandia (rosiglitazone), marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, and Actos (pioglitazone), by Takeda Pharmaceuticals — are thiazolidinediones. This class of drugs lowers blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity in liver and muscle cells. Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from the blood into cells. The FDA announced the call for labeling revisions during a Congressional hearing on reports linking Avandia to heart attacks and cardiovascular death.

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