Thursday, September 9, 2010

Avandia no longer has a place in the UK market

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to The Daily Health on 2010-06-04 00:00:00

If you have not already done so, please confirm your subscription here.

Click the link if you'd like to unsubscribe from The Daily Health

(images are being blocked) HSI e-Alert UK Edition

DAILY HEALTH RECOMMENDS
NO MORE UNSIGHTLY, UNWANTED HAIR
No pain, no mess, no allergic skin reactions, no cuts and nicks – just silky smooth skin up to 10 times cheaper than normal treatments...
with this new breakthrough technology

MEET THE DOCTOR WHO'S SAVING NATURAL MEDICINE
. . . and help you stay FREE from most of the crippling, life-threatening illnesses we suffer today...
All this from one of the world's greatest pioneers of natural medicine
CLAIM YOUR FREE 7-VOLUME LIBRARY OF NATURAL HEALING HERE

63 BREAKTHROUGH Arthritis Solutions
...Your doctor won't tell you about this!

.. A groundbreaking research report that will help you put an end to your arthritis pain...

.. STOP suffering from Arthritis pain today
Order your report here and enjoy a privileged one-time-only 50% discount on the full price.

In Today's Issue

9 September 2010

  • Discover the secret new science that pulses pain away
  • Avandia no longer has a place in the UK market

  • 85% of cancers are entirely avoidable


"Words cannot describe what this has done for my joint pain and for my life!"

Discover the secret new science that's helped 94.2% of users reduce their pain from "excruciating, distressing and intense" to "mild" or "none" in just 14 days - simply by pulsing their pain away....

..and yet I almost threw it in the bin!

Read the full amazing story here:


Avandia No Longer Has a Place in the UK Market

Dear Reader,

'Avandia no longer has a place in the UK market'. I must admit, I felt a huge surge of relief when I read that news headline this week.

But as we all know, nothing is cut-and-dry anymore, especially when you're dealing with top selling pharmaceuticals raking in near-billions of pounds and their equally unscrupulous manufacturers...

Path of destruction

With Avandia, this certainly is the case.

In 2003, HSI was the first to tell you about a link between Avandia and an increased risk of congestive heart failure. Since then we've brought you regular updates about the dangers of Avandia... dubbed the 'Killer Drug' by some.

In 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) made headlines with a study that illustrates just how expansive this danger really is and how an increased risk of suffering a heart attack is only one part of Avandia's risk profile.

Astonishingly, the drug stayed on the market despite the findings of a report in 2007 - published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) - that demonstrated it was killing around 19 per cent of patients, and was causing non-fatal heart problems in a further 8 per cent.

In 2008, a segment of a major type 2 diabetes trial was halted when the number of deaths (257) in the aggressive intervention group far exceeded deaths (203) in the standard care group. One of the drugs used in the aggressive care group was Avandia... at that point, the consensus was that Avandia was not to blame for the deaths in the trial...

Earlier this year, it was revealed that the UK's biggest drugs company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – the pharmaceutical giant behind Avandia, tried to intimidate independent scientists and deliberately misrepresented medical data to deny safety concerns over their top-selling diabetes treatment, Avandia.

Finally, after nearly 10 years of risking patient's lives it looks as if things are catching up with Avandia...

Benefits still outweigh the risks?

This week, Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) dealt GSK a blow by saying that the risks associated with Avandia outweigh its benefits and that it no longer has a place in the UK market where 220,000 patients receive the drug.

Bravo to the MHRA, for acting much quicker than the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who voted to keep Avandia on the American market earlier this year.

In spite of the MHRA's opinion on Avandia, GSK has pledged to stick by its controversial blockbuster diabetes drug, saying that it still believes the drug's positive effects are greater than its risks. A spokesperson for GSK said that studies have shown that Avandia does not increase the overall risk of heart attack, stroke or death compared with other diabetes medicines. He added, "We continue to believe that Avandia is safe and effective when it is prescribed appropriately."

Tug of war

It's almost as if GSK can't see what the big kafuffle is all about. Which astounds me, because in the last quarter of 2009 Avandia has been linked to 304 deaths during the – the same year in which the drug turned global profits well-over £771 million... and we wonder why GSK is sticking with their precious killer drug despite all the evidence quickly mounting against it.

Recently the FDA also produced a report, showing this shocking estimate: Over the past decade, 48,000 people experienced stroke, heart failure, or death because they used Avandia... That's almost 5,000 people a year, suffering adverse side-effects or death at the hands of GSK!

The recent recommendation from the MHRA adds to the mounting international scrutiny of Avandia. In 2007, regulators began restricting its use after studies suggested that it caused a greater incidence of cardiac problems in diabetics than alternative treatments... To make things worse, it transpires that some GSK executives knew about Avandia's heart risks and suppressed the data for more than a DECADE!

A decade! 5,000 people a year! And you kept your mouth shut?!

In a 2001 internal GSK e-mail, one executive made this comment about a study that linked Avandia to serious heart problems: "These data should not see the light of day to anyone outside of GSK."

Well luckily it did, even if it took 10 years!

Lesson to GSK executives: The truth will always come out...

End of the road for Avandia?

The MHRA recommendation will now shift the focus to European regulators, who are finalising their conclusions on Avandia.

The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), the MHRA's specialist advisers, reached consensus on the view that Avandia should be withdrawn, in July. German and Swedish regulators are due to make their recommendations to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) later this month.

The EMA's ruling on the drug is expected to be tougher than the FDA's, given that the treatment already faces harsher restrictions in Europe than it does in the US.

In July the FDA ruled to further restrict the use of Avandia but to keep it on the market, however they still need to make a final decision which is also expected later this month.

European doctors may not prescribe the drug to patients with a history of congestive heart failure. German regulators recommended this year that health insurers should no longer cover the costs of Avandia.

In the US, doctors are prevented from prescribing Avandia when dealing with patients with a more severe history of congestive heart failure.

Doctors in both Europe and the US can still prescribe Avandia to those at risk of heart attacks, although its use is not recommended.

The EMA's decision on whether Avandia retains its European licence for sale will be made at a final meeting on 23 September. Prof Gale, who chairs the EMA's scientific advisory group on diabetes, said Avandia should be withdrawn entirely. "How long do you wait? How important is it to be absolutely certain and at what point do you start saying - this game isn't worth it, people's lives may be at risk, something should be done about it?" he said.

So, if you or someone you know is taking this drug, see a doctor immediately to discuss safer alternative treatments...

Hopefully we'll soon all be able to say, Good riddance!

Continues below...

*Highly Recommended*


85% of Cancers are Entirely Avoidable


*** The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that 85 per cent of adult cancers are entirely avoidable and, of these, around half are related to nutritional deficiencies in the Western diet.

*** A Brigham Young University study found that a combination of 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day along with a switch to a healthier diet dropped the participants' health risks for:

  • diabetes

  • cancer

  • and heart disease dramatically in just 6 weeks!


  • ..And that's just generally eating well...

    In this groundbreaking 267-page book, you will discover how adding the power of individual and specific foods to your diet can have a dramatic effect on your life and your health.

    ...and another thing

    More than 30 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease. Talk with your doctor if you or a family member shows any of these warning signs of Alzheimer's disease:

    * Memory loss disrupting daily life: This is a common sign of Alzheimer's and includes forgetting important dates, events and recently learned information, as well as repeatedly asking for the same information and relying on others for regular tasks.

    * Not able to plan or solve problems: Taking a long time to complete familiar, simple tasks such as developing a plan, working with numbers, following directions (such as a recipe) or keeping track of monthly bills.

    * Familiar tasks become unfamiliar: It may be difficult to complete daily, routine tasks such as driving to a familiar location, reciting much-used phone numbers, or remembering the rules of favourite games.

    * Confusion about time or place: Losing track of dates, where you are or how you got there, and the general passage of time.

    * Difficulty to understand visual images: Difficulty reading, judging distance, determining colour or contrast, and confusion as to what is reflected in a mirror.

    Until next time,

    Francois Lubbe
    UK Editor


    P.S. This month's Health Sciences Institute (HSI) newsletter will tell you everything about the mineral that could revolutionise the way we treat Alzheimer's Disease, strokes and depression. You'll also discover how to increase your liver function and reverse the risk of diabetes and heart disease with a new all-natural liver support formula. Plus we'll give you full details about the ancient herb that has the ability to take on Alzheimer's, diabetes and fatigue.

    All new members who sign up to the Health Sciences Institute will receive the latest issue of HSI along with a FREE encyclopaedia, HSI's 100 Greatest Underground Cures... Soon you'll discover why our premium members believe HSI is the ultimate resource for anyone seeking a better, newer solution to their health problems. problems.

    Click here for full details.

    Sources:

    Avandia Still on the Market Despite Cardiac Deaths, by Debra Manzella, published online 22.02.10, diabetes.about.com

    UK watchdog calls for Glaxo's Avandia recall, by Andrew Jack, published online 06.09.10, ft.com

    'GSK vows to stick by controversial diabetes drug' by Rob Davies, published online 06.09.10, dailymail.co.uk

    "F.D.A. Panel Votes to Restrict Avandia" by Gardiner Harris, published online 07.14,10, nytimes.com

    "Diabetes Drug Maker Hid Test Data, Files Indicate" by Gardiner Harris, published online 07.12.10, nytimes.com

    Customer reference number: 000052221104

    You are receiving this email because you have given us permission to contact you. Agora Health Ltd presents information and research which is believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All material in this email alert is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this email alert; instead readers should consult their family doctor and other qualified health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided in this email alert are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgement available to the authors. Readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

    (images are being blocked) The Healthier Life Want more?

    Visit The Healthier Life website.

    To get the very latest breakthrough treatments that are achieving remarkable success

    To share your views with our online community or ask a question in our Health Forum

    Query?

    Please do not reply to this email. Messages to the HSI sending address will not be seen by customer services. All correspondence should be sent to dailyhealth@agorapub.co.uk

    Thank you for all your emails which have been flooding in. Here at Agora Health Ltd we aim to answer as many of your queries as possible. However, due to the sheer volume of queries we are now receiving each day we cannot guarantee an individual answer to every query. For this reason we will aim to address your queries and health concerns through the e-alert itself rather than individually.

    Know someone who'd love to receive the HSI e-alert themselves?

    Know someone who'd like to receive HSI Daily Health E-alert themselves?
    Simply forward the following link to anyone you think could benefit from our free daily service:

    http://signup.healthsciencesinstitute.co.uk/dh1.php?x=XHDHD702


    To end your subscription please click here


    If you do not wish to click on the unsubscribe link, please call our Customer Services department, and one of our representatives will be happy to unsubscribe you. The number to call is 0207 633 3655 between 9.00am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

    (images are being blocked) Agora Inc. Sun Logo thehealthierlife.co.uk | Health Archives | Health Forum | Whitelisting Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. The content of this site may not be redistributed in any way with out written consent of Agora Inc.

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Counter

    Search This Blog

    Blog Archive