According to a new Associated Press (AP) feature, federal regulators have experienced a dramatic surge in reports of Avandia-related side effects. In fact, they say they are receiving triple the number of reports just in the last month. This trend began when news broke that the drug, which has been a big money maker for GlaxoSmithKline, may increase the risk of heart trouble.

The data supporting the claim was gathered by the AP from the US Food and Drug Administration. Whoever wrote this article makes a point of noting that the figures were obtained with the backing of the Freedom of Information Act, although the report does not say the FDA resisted handing the information out. The key finding: in the thirty-five days before the Avandia story broke in the media, only five heart attacks were reported as side effects involving rosiglitazone. Rosiglitazone is the active ingredient in Avandia and its little cousin Avandamet, which combines that drug with metformin. Yet in the thirty-five days following the revelation, that number soared to ninety. The AP also says reports of heart-related hospitalizations increased dramatically.

The AP says that several experts consulted for the article agree that doctors are probably attributing patients' heart problems to the drug, whereas before they likely would not have made the connection. The report also touches on the problem that's at the heart of the Avandia story: the dire need for reform of the FDA. Right now, there is no organized governmental oversight of drug safety once a drug is on the market and all reporting of side effects is voluntary. No one is driving the bus, basically. Click here to read more.

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