Tony Merchant of the Merchant Law Group is attempting to launch a class action lawsuit against the makers of Avandia, a popular Type 2 diabetes drug. He filed statements of claim Saskatchewan and Ontario on Monday, alleging that GlaxoSmithKline should have done more to warn consumers of the drug’s risks.
"(The plaintiffs) have suffered heart attacks or suffered loss of their vision, and in some cases they have died," Merchant alleged in an interview late Monday. "Every drug does some good or bad," he continued. "The question is whether people were sufficiently warned.
The drug in question, Avandia, is prescribed for Type 2 diabetes to control blood sugar by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The U.S. government health advisers made a recommendation to the Food and Drug Administration that evidence of an increased risk of heart attack from using Avandia does not merit its removal from the market.
However, Merchant stressed that the drug’s warning label should be updated and there should be additional study. The manufacturer, however, argued that there is no increased risk, citing its own analysis of the studies of Avandia.
Iris Edith Wall, an Avandia user, allegedly began having chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart failure within two months of beginning to take the drug. The lawsuit alleges that she suffered at heart attack and died at age 75.
Merchant says the statements of claim signify their first step. The courts must first certify them before they can proceed as class-action lawsuits.