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The Department of Health (DH) drew public attention to the restricted use of diabetic drug containing rosiglitazone as recommended by the Registration Committee of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board at its meeting today (October 4).
The decision of the Committee was made after careful consideration of information of studies on rosiglitazone and recent regulatory action taken by other health authorities including United States Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration, and Singapore Health Sciences Authority, which suggest an elevated risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, in patients treated with Avandia (rosiglitazone).
The Committee decided that rosiglitazone should not be used in all patients with heart failure, or history of heart failure, and that rosiglitazone should only be used in patients with Type 2 diabetes who cannot control their diabetes on other medications.
In addition, the Committee also requested that the package insert of rosiglitazone products should be revised to include the above new indications and additional warnings on the risk of cardiovascular side effects.
Rosiglitazone is a thiazolidinedione for treatment of type II diabetes.
In Hong Kong, there are a total of 17 registered pharmaceutical products containing rosiglitazone. They can only be sold on a doctor's prescription in pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist.
A DH spokesman said that patients who are taking rosiglitazone should not stop their treatment themselves and should consult their healthcare professionals for advice.
"Healthcare professionals should communicate to their patients the risk of cardiovascular events associated with the use of rosiglitazone,"he said.
Ends/Monday, October 4, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:49
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