Animal Aid

Adverse drug reactions caused the deaths of 1,299 people and led to the hospitalisation for several days of 4,487 patients in 2008, according to figures published today (19th May).

All the drugs that caused these severe reactions had ‘passed’ regulatory animal tests to check that they were ‘safe’ for people.

Animal Aid’s report, Making a Killing: how drug company greed harms people and animals, details a number of high profile cases where ADRs have maimed and killed people. For example, Vioxx, an anti-inflammatory drug is reported to be responsible for between 88,000 and 160,000 heart attacks and strokes in the US alone before it was withdrawn. And Avandia, a blockbuster diabetes drug, which was prescribed to more than six million people worldwide, has repeatedly been shown to increase the risk of heart failure by more than 40 per cent.