Advair Lawsuits

Read the Black Box Warning that the FDA assigned to Advair’s packaging here.

What is Advair:

“Advair Diskus” is GlaxoSmithKline’s brand name of a combination of long-acting beta agonists drugs (LABAs) used to treat asthma. Advair was approved by the FDA in 2000, and is the only product available on the market today containing a combination of the drugs Salmeterol, a bronchodilator, and Fluticasone, a corticosteroid.   A recent US study has linked one of the active ingredients in Advair with an increase of asthma-related deaths.

The pharmaceutical litigation attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault are investigating multiple claims against the manufacturers of Advair and other LABAs.  These drugs may have caused undue harm including serious side effects and even death.  Our pharmaceutical litigation attorneys have devoted the past 25 years to representing personal injury victims across the country. If you have taken Advair ot another LABA and experience serious side effects or lost a loved one due to this drug, contact us at 1-800-256-1050 or submit an online request for a free evaluation of your case.

How Advair Works:

One of the drugs in Advair is Sameterol. Sameterol acts as a bronchodialator causing muscles cells around airways to relax and open. The other drug Fluticasone, an anti-inflammatory,  eases long term systems. Advair is most commonly prescribed for the treatment of asthma, but is also used to treat bronchitis in people with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). Each dose of Advair contains 50 micrograms of Salmeterol combined with 100, 250 or 500 micrograms of Fluticasone.  The drug is inhaled twice per day.

Unlike “rescue”  inhalers which open airways quickly, drugs like Advair and other LABAs are designed to work differently.  The drugs work to keep airways open for up to 12 hours.  

Advair Side Effects Include:

Patients taking Advair should be warned that the drug has been linked to an increase in asthma –related deaths.  In addition, various other side effects have been linked with Advair and other LABAs, including:

• Headaches
• Fever
• Chills
• Change in mucous color
• Increased cough
• Increased breathing problems
• Upper respiratory infections
• Swelling
• Rash
• Asthma attack not controlled with short-acting medication
• Pneumonia
• Reduction in Bone Mineral Density:
• Reduced Growth Velocity:
• Eye problems (cataracts or glaucoma)
• Immunosuppression
• Hypercorticism
• Adrenal Suppression
• Deaths due to adrenal insufficiency

Timeline of FDA Warnings on Advair:

The risk of serious side effects and death prompted the FDA to issue a serious of alerts and warning about the potentially serious complication of Advair.

On November 18, 2005, FDA alerted health care professionals and patients that several long-acting bronchodilator medicines have been associated with possible increased risk of worsening wheezing (bronchospasm) in some people, and requested that manufacturers update warnings in their existing product labeling. This information has now been included in updated labeling.

On March 2, 2006, FDA approved new safety labeling and Medication Guides for patients for the Advair Diskus. 

On November 28, 2007, a Pediatric Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting was held.   At this meeting, FDA raised concerns about the safety of certain medications in pediatric patients with asthma. 

In January 2008, FDA requested manufacturers of Advair to provide information regarding controlled clinical studies conducted with these products in order to further evaluate their safety in treating asthma.

In February 2010, the FDA announced that drugs like Advair should never be used alone in the treatment of asthma in children or adults.  The FDA also concluded that drugs like Advair should only be used by patients who cannot be treated with other asthma medications and that the medicine should be used for the shortest duration of time required to achieve control of asthma symptoms and discontinued.

Other Asthma Drugs that Can Cause These Side Effects:

In addition to Advair, other long acting beta agonists or LABAs can also produce serious side effects.  These long acting beta agonists include:

• Advair and Serevent, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline.
• Foradil , marketed by Novartis AG.
• Symbicort,  marketed by AstraZeneca.

Legal Recourse for Victims of Advair:

Pharmaceutical litigation cases are complicated, requiring testimony from qualified medical professionals to prove the link between the medical product and the injury.  Dealing with big drug companies and their legal teams is difficult – and only an experienced law firm can make sure that your rights and interests are protected.

If you have suffered harm from a prescription drug or other pharmaceutical product, the pharmaceutical litigation lawyers at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault of Alexandria, LA, will examine your case thoroughly to establish how your injury or illness was caused.  We’ll prepare extensive documentation to illustrate your medical condition, and we’ll develop a legal strategy designed to obtain maximum benefits for you and your family.  Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

You only have a limited time after your injury to file a claim, however, so you must act quickly.  Call 1-800-256-1050 today or submit an online request. We handle pharmaceutical litigation claims across the United States.