A UBS poll of experts indicated that GlaxoSmithKline's liability from personal injury

litigation over Avandia (rosiglitazone) may range from $1 billion to as much as $6 billion, but analysts at the firm remarked that they "expect liability below the

midpoint of this range."
UBS analyst Gbola Amusa stated that "as US Avandia contributes 1 percent to sales, our concerns are solely on personal injury lawsuits."

 The firm said the liability risk arises from the filing of more than 13 000 lawsuits following the recent release of a US Senate Finance Committee report, which questioned the company's handling of information

about the potential cardiovascular risks associated with the diabetes drug.
Amusa further noted that if Avandia is withdrawn from the market, it "could put GlaxoSmithKline at the top end of our liability range." He added that "bellwether trials start from June 1 and will help narrow our

liability range."
Analysts at UBS believe current data on Avandia support continued use of the product, however, Amusa stated that "non-scientific political pressure from Congress will likely be as important as science at FDA in the coming months."