GregJonesLaw_3Q42_2011-08-25_Thu_Heart Drug Multaq has Higher Death Rate, FDA Warns

Federal health regulators have been warning doctors that a heart drug made by Sanofi has been associated with fatal heart problems. The drug, Multaq, also has been linked to various other potentially fatal complications, such as liver damage, severe liver failure and heart failure. In July of this year, the Food and Drug Administration reported that Sanofi stopped a trial of its drug because patients taking the medication were having twice as many heart attacks, strokes and deaths than the patients taking the placebo.

That is alarming, since there were more than 3,000 patients studied; 32 people who were a part of the Multaq group had suffered from heart-related deaths as opposed to the 14 deaths that occurred in the placebo group.

The study monitored patients over the age of 65 who had a permanent heart condition commonly called atrial fibrillation, which makes the heart’s chambers pump out of sync. The drug was approved in 2009 as a treatment for the short-term form of the condition as well as for another like condition called atrial flutter. But it should be noted that doctors often use Multaq to treat other conditions that are considered off-label uses.

While the FDA is still trying to review the drug’s trial information, they recommend that patients taking Multaq discuss it with their doctors. Sanofi, based in Paris, issued a statement about Multaq that said that the company still thinks that the medication is useful to the patients who take it.

“It is important that Multaq only be used in patients with non-permanent atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, as per the current U.S. label,” a spokesman for the company said.

As usual, the drug company stands by its drug, regardless of the deaths being linked to it. If you or someone you love has suffered cardiovascular injuries as a result of taking Multaq, contact Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting drug companies and I may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.