Monday, July 05, 2010
Avandia (rosiglitazone) is a medication for type 2 diabetes, which was approved by the FDA in 1999. It is in a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones or glitazones, of which three (troglitazone, brand name Rezulin; rosiglitazone; and pioglitazone, brand name Actos) have been approved, and one of wh...
The problem is going to be not only getting the alternatives to Avandia on the market, but also getting them onto the approved formularies of the major drug insurance companies. Those plans are notoriously slow about making additions to their lists. If Avandia is removed from the market BEFORE there is widespread acceptance of a suitable alternative, people currently taking Avandia may well be left with no access to effective therapy for their conditions.