More bad news for Avandia as Major Benefits Admistrator Cuts Drug
A large pharmacy benefits administrator health Tran’s pharmacy and therapeutics has removed Avandia from its value-based formulary effective January 1, 2009. This decision is another blow to Glaxo Smith Kline’s once popular Avandia diabetes medication. Health strands made the decision after clinical data revealed that Avandia may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events.
This is a big blow to Glaxo Smith Kline as health strands makes pharmacy decisions for employers, third party administrators, and managed care organizations. Sales of Avandia have precipitously declined after reports of heart attack risks surfaced earlier this year, which resulted in the FDA requiring a black box warning on the drug’s label.
Earlier this week, a new study Published by the Cleveland Clinic revealed that Avandia may be associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. This new warning will most likely further damage Avandia sales. Some pharmacologists are speculating that the bone fractures associated with Avandia are even more troubling than the increased cardiovascular risks.
In his blog Corante.com, Derek Lowe who has worked for several major pharmaceutical companies on drug discovery, writes that if Avandia’s link with osteoporosis is confirmed it might spell the end for the drug and other drugs in the same class.
