Glaxo announces plans to settle 1,000 more Avandia heart attack claims

Avandia, once the most commonly prescribed diabetes drug, created over $3 billion dollars in sales for its British manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, as recently as a few years ago.  It has since been removed from European markets and a "black box" warning has been imposed in the U.S, resulting in a decline of 43 percent of sales.  After Avandia was associated with an increased risk of heart attack, some 5,000 state-court product liability claims are pending against GSK and the manufacturer has already settled an estimated 12,000 suits, according to Bloomberg News.  Michigan residents cannot sue for damages because Michigan grants immunity to any drug manufacturer associated with a drug that was originally approved by the FDA.  Michigan is the only state that allows this blanket immunity, regardless of the subsequently-discovered negligence or misconduct of the manufacturer.