According to several recent consumer lawsuits, type-2 diabetes drug Onglyza may result in major health complications, including heart failure. In addition to patient claims and lawsuits, a recent FDA safety warning also states that use of Onglyza may result in dangerous health consequences for patients.

Onglyza is a type-2 diabetes medication prescribed to help lower blood sugar levels in patients. However, the drug may also cause patients to suffer cardiovascular complications like congestive heart failure, cardiac failure, and death.

Sadly, a new lawsuit has been filed by a Nevada woman who was recently widowed when her late husband died from heart failure. The plaintiff, Elke M., alleges that her husband Peter’s heart failure symptoms and ultimately his death were a direct result of his exposure to Onglyza.

According to the lawsuit, Peter was prescribed and took Onglyza between 2015 and 2017. Unfortunately, he developed a number of heart-related complications, including coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. His heart failure symptoms caused significant physical pain and mental injuries, Elke says, along with an impact on his finances through loss of earning capacity as well as medical expenses.

The lawsuit alleges that the Onglyza’s manufacturer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, was aware of the risk of heart failure symptoms associated with its drug, yet failed to adequately warn patients like Peter about this risk.

After her husband’s untimely death, Elke filed her Onglyza lawsuit on Sept. 14, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including design defect, negligence, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, and wrongful death, among others.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Bristol-Myers Squibb not only knew about the possibility of patients suffering serious and adverse side effects as a result of taking Onglyza, but went as far as to cover up these possible side effects. The suit claims that the company purposefully conveyed false and misleading information regarding the safety of Onglyza to consumers in an attempt to boost profits and make sales of the drug. Elke claims that if her deceased husband had known the full extent of the possible side effects of Onglyza, he would never have consented to take the drug.

Basics of Onglyza

Onglyza (also known by its generic name, saxagliptin) is manufactured by pharmaceutical giants AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. It was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Onglyza belongs to a class of drugs known as incretin mimetics, a kind of diabetes drug stimulates insulin release, helping to regulate blood sugar level.

While many patients have chosen Onglyza because it is advertised as not encouraging weight gain, several side effects of Onglyza may be much more severe—and may even be life-threatening.

Onglyza Heart Failure Risk

Heart failure is a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition in which the heart becomes so weak that it cannot adequately pump blood throughout the body. High blood pressure or coronary artery disease can eventually lead to heart failure by gradually weakening the heart.

Even if a patient survives heart failure, they are typically forced to make significant changes to their daily life because of heart failure symptoms. These kinds of permanent changes may include improving their diet, reducing their level of salt intake, exercising, losing weight, and/or managing stress more effectively. All of these things can reduce the risk of further complications.

Onglyza manufacturers were warned by the FDA in April 2015 to include a warning about heart failure symptoms to their warning labels. FDA policy is that drugs do not and should not require definitive links before adding warnings to their labels of potential risks. Instead, companies are supposed to add warning labels when there is enough evidence to suggest a connection and cause concern.

New Onglyza FDA Warnings

According to the FDA safety warning released on April 5, 2016, new precautions have been added to the Onglyza drug label. According to these warnings, side effects that may be warning signs of serious health consequences may include unusual shortness of breath, trouble breathing while lying down, tiredness or weakness, and weight gain and swelling. Patients experiencing these symptoms may want to contact their doctor.

Filing an Onglyza Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from heart failure symptoms or other serious side effects of Onglyza, you may be able to take legal action. Filing an Onglyza lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by Onglyza side effects, or bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Onglyza Heart Failure Symptoms Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-13904-MAS-TJB, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.