According to an FDA warning, a certain class of diabetes medications may cause a flesh eating genital infection.

Like many other diabetes medications, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors work to lower blood glucose levels. This class of diabetes medications accomplishes this goal by forcing the kidneys to excrete more sugar through the urine than would normally be excreted. Although this effectively eliminates excess glucose from the blood, it may put patients at risk for a flesh eating genital infection.

In August 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning about SGLT2 inhibitors, informing consumers that the class of diabetes medications may increase the risk for developing a flesh eating genital infection known as Fournier’s gangrene.

Medications included in this warning are Invokana, Invokamet and Invokamet XR, Farxiga, Xigduo XR, Qtern, Jardiance, Glyxambi, Synjardy and Synjardy XR, Steglatro, Segluromet, and Steglujan.

Sugar being excreted through the urine can reportedly affect the sugar levels of the genitals. Higher sugar levels in the genitals may increase the area’s propensity to attract harmful bacteria.

Bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, Group A Streptococcus, Staphlococcus aureus, and Vibrio vulnificus may thrive in such environments and cause Fournier’s gangrene should they enter the body through a cut in the skin.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) reports that Fournier’s gangrene is a necrotic flesh eating genital infection which progresses from mild pain to full tissue death in the affected areas.

If left untreated, the flesh eating genital infection has been recorded to spread into “parts of the thighs, through the abdominal wall and up to the chest wall,” according to NORD. Although the condition is more common in men, it sometimes occurs in women.

According to the FDA alert, 12 patients on SGLT2 inhibitors developed the flesh eating genital infection between March 2013, when the first SGLT2 inhibitor was approved, and May 2018. Seven of the reported cases occurred in men with the other five occurring in women. Although only 12 cases in total have been reported, the agency acknowledges that other cases could have occurred and were not reported.

All of the patients who reported developing a flesh eating genital infection after treatment with an SGLT2 inhibitor were hospitalized, although one died due to the infection. Each of the patients underwent surgery with some of them needing multiple surgeries to remedy the issue.

Diabetes is a risk factor for the flesh eating genital infection, but only six cases were reported over 30 years in patients taking other diabetes medications.

The FDA warns that diabetes patients on SGLT2 inhibitors should seek medical attention immediately if they are experiencing symptoms of a flesh eating genital infection including: tenderness, redness, or swelling of the genitals, fever or generally feeling unwell.

Consumers of SGLT2 inhibitors may not have been sufficiently warned about the risks associated with the diabetes medications.

The lack of warning regarding a flesh eating genital infection may entitle consumers to legal remedies. Attorneys are investigating the potential for legal claims against drug manufacturers and if consumers can recover compensation.

Join a Free Diabetes Medications & Flesh-Eating Infection Lawsuit Investigation

The type-2 diabetes medications linked to the flesh-eating infection include:

• Invokana
• Invokamet/Invokamet XR
• Farxiga
• Xigduo XR
• Qtern
• Jardiance
• Glyxambi
• Synjardy/Synjardy XR
• Steglato
• Segluromet
• Steglujan

If you or a loved one took one of the type-2 diabetes medications listed above and suffered from a flesh-eating genital infection, you may qualify to join this diabetes medication lawsuit investigation. Fill out the FREE form on this page for more information.

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