NEW ORLEANS – A St. Tammany Parish man says the maker of diabetes drug Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline, is at fault for failing to warn consumers about the drug’s allegedly dangerous side effects.
Royal B. Kraft Sr. filed a lawsuit Sept. 8 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against SmithKline Beecham Corp., GaskoSmithKline and SmithKline Beecham Corp., doing business as GlaxoSmithKline, alleging negligence, fraud and other counts.
According to the complaint, Avandia can cause potentially fatal heart and liver disease, with Food and Drug Administration research showing a 31 percent higher risk for heart attack among patients treated with the drug. Kraft asserts the defendant was willfully negligent in marketing the drug to him and other diabetics, knowing its risk of dangerous side effects.
Kraft seeks punitive and compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial. He is represented by attorney Joseph S. Piacun, Thomas A. Gennusa II and Reid S. Uzee of the Metairie firm Gennusa, Piacum & Ruli.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Case number 2:15-cv-04170