Rezulin
Rezulin (troglitazone) tablets are used to treat Type 2 Diabetes. On March 22, 2000, Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Company announced that it was voluntarily discontinuing the sale of Rezulin after the Federal Drug Administration determined that it was too dangerous for use. Severe liver toxicity has been shown to occur in patients using Rezulin since 1997. For some people these problems have caused liver failure, resulting in liver transplant or death.
Rezulin was approved for diabetics who used insulin and took certain types of oral antihyperglycemic medications or fodiabetics. The patient’s diabetes could not be controlled by diet and exercise alone.
Rezulin was banned in England in December 1997, following the death of an American who took the drug. The drug manufacturer, Warner-Lambert successfully fought a ban in the U.S. for 27 months before the FDA decided to prohibit sales of the drug on March 21, 2000.
Before the ban, sales of Rezulin generated Warner-Lambert $1.8 billion in revenues. At its peak, the drug was prescribed 488,000 times in January of 1999. 63 Rezulin users have reportedly died from use of the drug. The deaths were caused by liver failure. The total number of deaths is likely to exceed 63 by many times according to experts.
Deaths Linked to Rezulin. There has been 90 cases of Rezulin liver failure have been attributed to the diabetes drug. While this number is alarming, it reflects just 1-10% of actual fatalities according to experts. Of these 90 cases they have resulted in:
- 63 deaths
- 7 liver transplant survivors
- 10 recoveries without a liver transplant
- 10 people continuing to suffer from liver failure