Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3493

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Glaxo says two of its drugs cause eye swelling
bizjournals.com 2006 Jan 5
http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060105/1211873.html?.v=1

Keywords:
rosiglitazone macular edema swelling

Notes:

Ralph Faggotter’s Comments:

The glitazone class of drugs have been a source of concern in relation to adverse effects.
Another adverse effect has been added to the list with rosiglitazone causing macular oedema and swelling in other parts of the body in some patients.

Apparently this reaction is ‘rare’, but it would be nice to know the exact percentages.

Full text:

Glaxo says two of its drugs cause eye swelling
Thursday January 5, 4:37 pm ET

Patients taking two diabetes drugs manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline have reported macular edema – or swelling of the eye – and blurred vision, accompanied in many cases by swelling of the feet and legs, the company said in a letter made public Thursday.

Avandia and Avandamet, as well as a third diabetes drug called Avandaryl that has yet to be released, all contain rosiglitazone, and all have been reported to cause the side effects.

More than 5.3 million patients have been exposed to Avandia and 679,000 have taken Avandamet, according to Glaxo officials, but reports of the side effects are “very rare,” the letter said. Specific numbers of reports were not included in the letter, which was sent to doctors last month.

“In some cases, the macular edema resolved or improved following discontinuation of therapy and in one case, macular edema resolved after dose reduction,” the letter said.

Rosiglitazone, used to treat type II diabetes, is a drug taken to help reduce the amount of sugar in the blood and help make insulin more effective. Patients with type II diabetes cannot produce normal amounts of insulin, but rosiglitazone helps make what little insulin is present more efficient in removing sugar from the blood.

Side effects listed for Avandia range from sinusitis to hypoglycemia and include “moderate” edema, or the buildup of fluid, but do not specify macular or peripheral edema, according to MedicineNet.com.

Shares of GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK – News) were down 8 cents Thursday to $51.87.

GlaxoSmithKline has 5,600 Triangle employees and co-U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park.

Published January 5, 2006 by the Triangle Business Journal