Pfizer Tops Forbes Global 2000 Despite Zithromax Cardiac Risks

Forbes Global 2000 (G2000) ranks the top 2,000 public companies in the world and has recently announced its 2014 list. Among the drug companies listed, Pfizer tops the list despite several major mergers.

On the G2000 list, Pfizer’s official rank was 45 out of the 2,000. Pfizer is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies that sells various medications and vaccines to treat common conditions. Among its biggest sellers are Zithromax and Lipitor, both subjects of lawsuits.

Lipitor lawsuits have been filed alleging that the heart disease medication is causing type-2 diabetes in patients. It has been declared the best-selling drug in pharmaceutical history, and garners millions of dollars each year.

Zithromax lawsuits have alleged the drug of causing liver failure, cardiac complications, and extreme allergic reactions such as Stevens Jonson Syndrome. It is America’s most popular antibiotic, and is predicted to remain as such for years to come.

For Zithromax, the concerns are much wider and diverse than Lipitor due to the injuries it has been reported to cause. Despite these dangerous side effects, Pfizer failed to mention them on Zithromax’s warning label. Even now, the company does not use specific wording to describe the Zithromax side effects.

There have been recent concerns raised in the medical community that Zithromax may be prescribed too leniently, and fear that it could lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and that it may cause unnecessary risks to at-risk patients.

Overview of Zithromax Heart Side Effects

In one of the most recent studies observing Zithromax heart attacks risks, researchers looked at patients enrolled at U.S. Veteran Affairs (VA) medical centers, and found that Zithromax drastically increased the risk of cardiac injury in some patients. This study was conducted at the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine, and was led by Dr. Gowtham Rao.

Rao and his team published their findings on March 10 in the Annals of Family Medicine, and concluded that Zithromax may be unnecessary for some patients, and in some cases, it may be unwise to prescribe the antibiotic to certain patients.

Rao and his colleagues studied 979,380 individuals who received amoxicillin prescriptions, 594,792 patients who received Zithromax, and 201,798 who received levofloxacin. They discovered that Zithromax increased the risk of death by 48 percent and the risk of heart attack by 77 percent, within just five days of taking the antibiotic, which is typically the same amount of time Zithromax is prescribed.

From these results, Rao and his team would urge physicians to caution themselves when prescribing Zithromax, as there are other antibiotics that may be more suitable for their condition, especially if the infection is not serious.

The results support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2013 Zithromax warning announcement, which stated that this drug may be fatal to those with pre-existing heart conditions, the elderly, and to those who may be on arrhythmia medications.

Join a Free Zithromax Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of a Zithromax/Z-Pak injury such as a heart attack, liver damage, or Stevens Johnson Syndrome, you have legal options. See if you qualify to join a free Zithromax class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for you or your loved one’s injuries:

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