Onglyza is a type-2 diabetes drug, sold by the drug’s manufacturers Bristol-Myers Squibb. According to reports, Onglyza is a popular diabetes drug as it helps control elevated levels of blood sugar.

However, there are serious adverse side effects of Onglyza, and studies referenced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other studies that have linked the medication to pancreatitis, heart failure, and joint pain.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Onglyza in 2009. It was approved as a diabetes drug to control the blood sugar levels of patients who have type-2 diabetes but do not have diabetic ketoacidosis. The condition of diabetic ketoacidosis is one in which an individual has increased ketones in the urine or blood.

Onglyza, consists of the active ingredient, saxagliptin, which is described as a DPP-4 inhibitor. DPP-4 is an enzyme that breaks down the hormone GLP-1, which is released into a person’s blood after the ingestion of food. The hormone GLP-1 signals insulin to be released from the pancreas.

In people with diabetes, therefore, the purpose of Onglyza, is to inhibit DPP-4 from breaking down GLP-1 and allowing it to stay in the body for a longer time-period, and thus allowing the pancreas to create and release insulin after the body’s ingestion of food.

However, reports have indicated multiple common adverse side effects of Onglyza. For example, in clinical trials, Onglyza caused several common adverse reactions. Some of the most common adverse side effects of Onglyza include vomiting, cough, headache, sore throat, runny nose, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, stomach pain, and low blood sugar.

More serious adverse side effects of Onglyza, however, also included heart failure, inflammation of the pancreas, low blood sugar, joint pain, allergic reaction, skin reaction, and allergic retention.

According to a safety announcement issued by the FDA in February 2014, it stated that the diabetes drug saxagliptin, marketed as Onglyza instigates a risk of developing heart failure.

Accordingly, the FDA stated, “a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety review has found that type 2 diabetes medicines containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may increase the risk of heart failure, particularly in patients who already have heart or kidney disease.”

According to reports,  pancreatitis was also added in November 2011 to Onglyza’s adverse health effects and warnings. Pancreatitis is defined as being the inflammation of the pancreas and is a diagnosis which requires hospitalization and may lead to death. Pancreatitis is also a condition which may be a precursor to pancreatic cancer.

The FDA says doctors are advised to carefully monitor their patients and if pancreatitis is suspected, patients are advised to discontinue the medication immediately.